Alpen High Performance Products, a designer and manufacturer of super-insulating, high-performance windows and doors, announces the expansion of its Alpenglass insulated glass unit production in Colorado. Alpenglass combines Heat Mirror suspended coated film with high-performance low-e glass technologies to deliver superior performance as a building shell solution for commercial and residential window projects.
Additionally, the company will collaborate with Kensington HPP in Vandergrift, Pa., to address industry demand for ultra-high-performance glass products featuring Heat Mirror in the Eastern U.S. The collaboration will further strengthen the supply chain for Heat Mirror technology across the country, providing Eastern and Western U.S. manufacturing sources via two experienced and longstanding fabricators of the product.
Alpenglass insulated glass units (IGUs) incorporate Heat Mirror technology as part of Alpen’s unique line of energy-efficient fiberglass residential and commercial window solutions. Also, with increased production of Alpenglass/Heat Mirror IGUs, the company will supply a greater number of commercial glaziers and institutional/commercial window companies with this product on a national level.
In total, it is estimated that nearly 250 million square feet of Heat Mirror glass has been installed worldwide since the product’s introduction by Southwall Technologies Inc. in the late 1970s. Specially manufactured using a state-of-the-art glazing system that secures a unique film between sheets of glass, Heat Mirror offers unprecedented thermal insulation, exceptional occupant comfort and protection from UV infiltration. Insulating glass made with Heat Mirror technology can achieve up to R-20 performance values, and has been recognized by Popular Science as one of the “Top 100 Inventions of the Millennium” for its contribution to exceptionally reducing the energy load on homes and buildings.
Alpen’s involvement with the product since 1981 has led to the integration of its Alpenglass in notable building projects at locations including the National Gallery of Art, the New York Stock Exchange, the Empire State Building, and the LEED Platinum and Net Zero Energy certified David and Lucile Packard Foundation building. Alpenglass provides some of the highest commercial glass insulation performance currently available in North America, with a super-insulating suspended film technology that facilitates a “self-tuning” of the building envelope to buffer solar heat gain or loss. Multiple films can also easily be employed to reach the stringent performance requirements of LEED, Passive House, Net Zero Energy and other sustainable construction and energy efficient building standards.
Alpen’s window packages, which “insulate like walls” and offer full frame window package performance at up to 9.1 R-values, integrate advanced glazing technology with a wide range of design options for residential and commercial projects. Providing exceptional condensation and air infiltration resistance, noise reduction and structural performance, Alpen windows additionally offer warm winter interior glass surface temperatures for colder climates. The complete line of Alpen window solutions incorporates features and options like pultruded fiberglass frames, closed-cell foam insulation, marine-grade glazing sealants, hermetically sealed high-performance spacers, low-e coated glass, and high-performance inert gas fill.
According to Begin, Alpen’s broader mission is to continuously expand its offering of multiple high-performance glass options, through the integration of cutting-edge glass and frame technologies such as dynamic glazing solutions and daylight redirection technologies, along with the latest advancements in lightweight framing materials. Combined, these features empower Alpen windows to act as “wavelength selective filters.” Alpen’s window and glass lines provide glass R-values as high as 20, directional “tuning,” 99+ percent UV blockage, unparalleled radiant comfort, and superior condensation resistance.