Guardian Glass, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of float, coated and fabricated glass products, has supplied coated solar control glass to help global petrochemical giant Sabic achieve a zero net energy balance at its Home of Innovation building located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Sabic’s Home of Innovation is the first single-family home in the Middle East to earn Platinum certification from the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (Leed) rating system.

Located in the Saudi capital, the 800-sq-m demonstration home is designed and built to generate as much electricity as it consumes over a 12-month period, to achieve a zero net energy balance, said a statement from US-based Guardian Glass.

The home showcases a full range of the latest commercially available technologies that yield net zero energy use, water conservation and environmentally responsible building materials and techniques to pave the way forward for more sustainable home building around the world, it stated.

Guardian SunGuard SuperNeutral 30 double silver coated solar control glass, used in all the windows and some doors of the Demonstration Home, helped the building achieve a zero net energy balance, said a senior company official.

`Guardian Glass Connect’ event being held in Ryadh

As well as being energy efficient, Guardian SunGuard SuperNeutral 30 helps to promote environmental sustainability by reducing shipping time for projects based in the Middle East, remarked Gary Prideaux, the regional technical manager at Guardian Glass.

He was speaking at the ‘Guardian Glass Connect’ event which was co-hosted by Guardian Glass and Sabic recently at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC Hotel & Convention Centre.

During the event, Prideaux spoke about new technical support features provided by Guardian Glass and its Technical Advisory Center that would be beneficial to customers.

The SuperNeutral family of coated solar control glass products from Guardian Glass offered the flexibility to create the ideal balance between light transmission and solar heat gain in a wide range of applications, explained Prideaux.

SOLAR CONTROL RANGE

Earlier, the Michigan-based company introduced three new coated solar control glass products for the Middle East and Africa market.

All of these products offer enhanced aesthetics, as well as excellent performance, product availability and quality, said the statement from the US group.

They were specifically developed to meet architects’ requirements for high performance glass where appearance matters as well as building’s impact on its surrounding, it stated.

The SunGuard Double Silver (DS) range from Guardian Glass combines solar or low-e coatings to provide a great balance between light transmission and thermal insulation for commercial building projects, said the statement.

These high-performance double silver coated solar control glass products are readily available in three new colours tuned to meet the aesthetic requirements of architects, it added.

SunGuard Double Silver Steel Grey: this new addition to the SunGuard DS range satisfies current architectural design trends by providing a neutral steel grey appearance that architects desire. This opens new design possibilities for architects that can help give their projects a unique edge, flair and style.

The glass also provides high performance in terms of visible light transmission, solar protection and thermal insulation – making it an ideal choice for double-glazed windows and façades, said the statement.

SunGuard Double Silver Emerald Green: this new product from the SunGuard Double Silver range provides a striking, natural emerald green appearance. The enhanced aesthetics are combined with optimal performance attributes in terms of light transmission, solar protection and thermal insulation.

ClimaGuard Shadow Grey: Guardian ClimaGuard is a growing family of advanced glass products designed specifically to provide superior thermal protection and a desired performance well suited for the region’s climate. Ideal for use in windows, doors, skylights and conservatories, the enhanced appearance of the glass can help make living and working spaces more beautiful, comfortable, safe and energy efficient, said the statement.

The glass can be tailored to suit specific climates and help meet performance expectations or achieve distinctive styles, opening new design possibilities, it stated.

ClimaGuard Shadow Grey is a new highly durable and easy to process low-E coating with a desirable grey appearance on a clear substrate. Suitable for both insulated and laminated glass applications, the glass offers superior thermal insulation, while allowing plenty of natural daylight into the building.

All three new products are available on clear substrate, which means a more efficient manufacturing process, which in turn means better value for customers in terms of product quality, cost and availability, said the statement from Guardian Glass.

The company is continuously innovating and refining its SunGuard and ClimaGuard ranges of coated solar control glass products to continue helping architects and designers see what’s possible with glass, as well as helping meet their design visions and expectations, it added.