Modern Design Enabled by Greener, Cleaner Sealant Technology
Leading-edge spacer systems support sustainable building construction.
Growing concerns about energy usage are prompting cities all over the world to set goals for energy-efficient or net-zero buildings. Today, residential and commercial buildings in the U.S. represent about 40% of total energy usage,1 with heat gain and loss contributing up to 35% of the total.
Properly manufactured insulating glass units (IGUs) contribute significantly to energy savings. The main drivers of this energy efficiency, with respect to an IGU of a given airspace thickness, are (in descending order of contribution) the glass coating, gas fill, and edge seal conductivity. While traditional aluminum spacer systems create a thermal bridge in the edge seal that reduces the energy efficiency of the building envelope, warm-edge spacer systems can minimize this thermal loss.