the meaning of low-e vs. low-e2
the meaning of low-e vs. low-e2
If a window manufacturer says low-e does this mean it will only keep heat in OR out and not both as a low-e2? OR are their usage by window manufacturers interchangable?
LowE
Today(to my knowledge) LowE is LowE. LowE squared indicates there are 2 layers of silver. Cardinal, AFGD, Oldcastle etc..are pretty much the same to keep your life simple. Some companies have multiple layers of the LowE. Everybody now that I know of use softcoat LowE as the days of hardcoat are gone. You can get lost in terminology which only confuses one. When you start adding Sun145 to LowE it really starts to confuse most people. Don't sweat the small stuff- LowE is LowE in todays marketplace.
jscott, you should study what you sell or install! Lo-E is more than 50% less protective than the Lo-E2. The Low-E terms are really just names given to a product used by Cardinal Glass Company. I can't even come close to explaining it logically as Oberon could. So I'll attach the link to the study done on the two low-e coatings.
http://www.cardinalcorp.com/Tech/casest ... ndrose.htm
http://www.cardinalcorp.com/Tech/casest ... ndrose.htm
Guy,
Thanks for your response and I do declare there is a difference; however, in our showroom all 5 of our manufacturers use LowE with 2 coats of silver oxide, 1 manufacturer calls there LowE plus another suncoat lowE, another calles it something else.
The message I was trying to convey in laymen terms is not to get lost in marketing tactics and terms and not to get confused but DO get LowE glass at a minimum. I forgot that many people here want to dissect everything(no disrespect). In my area all competitors as well as our products with LowE meet the energy star guidelines of a U value less than 0.40
Again thanks for your reply and dedication to the industry.
Thanks for your response and I do declare there is a difference; however, in our showroom all 5 of our manufacturers use LowE with 2 coats of silver oxide, 1 manufacturer calls there LowE plus another suncoat lowE, another calles it something else.
The message I was trying to convey in laymen terms is not to get lost in marketing tactics and terms and not to get confused but DO get LowE glass at a minimum. I forgot that many people here want to dissect everything(no disrespect). In my area all competitors as well as our products with LowE meet the energy star guidelines of a U value less than 0.40
Again thanks for your reply and dedication to the industry.
reply
That is a common misconception of Low-E coatings. They reflect ambient heat as well as radiant solar heat. They work 24/7 in sun or shade... reflecting heat either in or out. Do not limit yourself to EnergyStar guidlines. They are based on the 1993 Model Energy Code and very outdated by today's available products. Use them as the bare minimum.