A window to a brighter world
With increased energy efficiency and easier installation, windows made with Corning’s Architectural Technical Glass open new possibilities for the future of buildings.
Glance at a window and you probably see a flat pane of simple glass, a technology that’s remained largely the same for generations.
But to Corning researchers, even a basic window can—and should—work harder. They know windows can become clearer, more energy-efficient, easier to install, and impact resistant, helping make buildings more sustainable and comfortable.
“We are just beginning to tap into the potential for window glass,” says Marty Curran, executive vice president and chief innovation officer at Corning. “For hundreds of years, windows have connected us with nature’s beauty, while shielding us from the elements. But what else can they do?”
Key to these new possibilities is Corning® Architectural Technical Glass (ATG). Ultra-thin, lightweight, and durable, ATG is fueling an emerging product portfolio that could make windows a game changer when designing buildings of the future. Progress is already underway.
The thin glass (ATG) can be inserted into a double-pane window, creating an extra chamber for insulating gas.
Corning recently announced a collaboration with leading window and door manufacturer PGT Innovations to produce next-generation window applications, leading to more sustainable, energy-efficient windows and doors including thin-triple windows and laminate applications.
“We expect this collaboration with Corning to reshape the window and door industry,” says Jeff Jackson, president and chief executive officer of PGT Innovations. “Corning’s thin, durable glass can help advance PGT Innovations’ mission to produce premium, high-quality products that enhance people’s lives.”
With a profile of less than a millimeter, approximately the thickness of a credit card, Corning’s ATG can be inserted in the middle of a traditional double-pane window cavity, turning it into a triple-pane window with an extra chamber for insulating gas. This can deliver 2x better insulating performance, but with basically the same weight and footprint as a double-pane window.
Such ATG-enabled triple-pane windows can be up to 25% lighter than standard triples available on the global market today—making it easier for installers to maneuver and residents to operate. In addition, with reduced weight comes reduced fuel consumption during transport from factory to warehouse to construction site.
PGT Innovations’ Thin Triple Insulated Glass Unit, enabled by Corning’s ATG, is the first such product to be manufactured in the United States. These windows align with new ENERGY STAR Version 7 guidelines and qualify for energy-efficient-home-upgrade tax credits under the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act.
Another promising use of ATG? It can be an ultra-lightweight glass laminate, which is two pieces of glass adhered together, ideal for impact-resistant and hurricane-ready window applications. PGT Innovations is deploying this ATG technology with its new Diamond Glass, which weighs up to 45% less than existing impact laminates.
Corning and PGT Innovations linked together to create thin-triple windows—the first-of-its-kind manufactured in the U.S.
These innovative window applications were recently on display at the 2023 NAHB International Builders’ Show and will be commercially available in the coming months.
The view ahead is not only clear, but bright.
“While many people just see glass, we know the science behind this beautiful technology will continue to make our lives better,” says Thomas Bertin-Mourot, an innovation growth leader and advanced windows program manager at Corning. “And we feel like we’ve already made a giant step in progressing architecture for years to come.”