Low-E coating Orientation: Should Low-E coating be on surface 2 or 3?
2024-10-22
Low-E coating Orientation: Should Low-E coating be on surface 2 or 3?
The answer depends on the specific requirements and needs of the customers.
As we all know, insulating glass normally consists of two glass pieces separated by noble glass(usually air or Argon). Sometimes, one of the two glass pieces could be Low-e glass. So where should I put the Low-e coating? On the outside or inside of the home?
Insulating glass has four sides (as we can see above), The order of glass surfaces counted from the outdoor side to the indoor side and we usually put the Low-e coatings on surfaces 2 or 3,
According to the calculation and test, the K factors are almost the same whether we put the Low-E coating on surface 2 or surface 3, while the performance of SHGC can be affected. The SHGC factor is higher when we put the Low-E coating on surface 3 and lower on surface 2.
Conclusion: If the climate is severely cold in winter and we have a specific need for natural light, it is highly recommended to put the low-E surface on the #3 face. If the climate is severely hot and the sun is really strong in summer, the #2 surface is much better.
Note: The Low-E glass mentioned above is solar control Low-E coatings
