February, 2007

Zo-e-shield Energy Glass

Weather Shield Windows & Doors offers a unique glazing system that saves energy and improves performance.

By Staff Report

For Dave Koester, capitalizing on a growing demand in the market for green products while simultaneously being good to the environment is a win all-around.

Koester is the brand manager for Weather Shield Windows & Doors, which recently introduced an exclusive glazing system,

Zo-e-shield, to its product lineup. He says Zo-e-shield delivers the world’s best energy glass, saving consumers money by reducing energy costs, as well as offering a host of other benefits.

“When you want a new computer, you buy the model with the most memory, power, and advanced technology,” says Koester. “When you buy windows, you also should consider the benefits of the latest innovations and technology. Weather Shield products with Zo-e-shield glazing … yield exceptional results in energy efficiency and visible light transmission.”

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, windows consume 3.8 quadrillion BTU’s of energy annually through heating and air conditioning loads. That translates to a cost of more than $30 billion to consumers.

To help counter those costs, Weather Shield’s state-of-the-art glazing systems are custom-engineered to reduce energy usage. Koester notes that the glazing systems also can protect a home’s draperies, furniture, floors, and artwork from up to 99.9% of harmful UV-A and UV-B radiation, and can provide up to 65% visible light transmittance without compromising energy efficiency.

The Zo-e-shield glazing system features exclusive Real Warm Edge Spacer Systems, EasyCare coating, multiple layers of silver coating, and inert gas-filled airspaces.

Koester says that this combination of technology delivers the lowest center-of-glass U-values and solar heat gain coefficients, while protecting from harmful UV rays and still allowing a maximum of visible light into a home. Zo-e-shield also features exterior surfaces which are easy to clean, and that also reduce water spots and condensation. 

Koester says the Warm Edge spacer system is one key to Zo-e-shield’s efficiency. The spacers, made from flexible, low-conductive, durable materials, create an effective insulating barrier against heat flow, sound, and condensation. The EasyCare coating is an invisible, permanent coating that resists dirt and causes water to “sheet off’ rather than cling to the glass. (This reduces water spots and makes glass cleaning easier.) Zo-e-shield is available in three performance levels—5, 6, and 7.

Zo-e-shield 5 features two panes of glass with a Real Warm Edge Spacer System and an inert-gas-filled airspace. EasyCare coating on the exterior surface, and a three-layer silver coating system provide protection from heat gain/loss and fading from UV rays. This system provides center-of-glass U-values of 0.24, a 50% improvement over the 0.48 U-values of clear insulated glass. With a center-of-glass solar heat gain coefficient value of 0.27, this offers a 65% improvement over the .078 value of clear insulated glass.

Zo-e-shield 6 adds a laminated interlayer applied to the interior lite, which the company says improves safety, security, and sound control for the home. Zo-e-shield 6 provides 99% protection from harmful UV-A and UV-B radiation and is available on select Weather Shield product lines. 

Zo-e-shield 7 is a triple-insulated glazing system with the standard EasyCare outer surface, a three-layer silver coated surface, an additional clear lite, and a two-layer silver coated surface. Both airspaces on Zo-e-shield 7 contain an inert gas and each has a Real Warm Edge Spacer. It provides center-of-glass U-values of 0.19 and a solar heat gain coefficient of 0.25, a 60% and 68% improvement respectively over the center-of-glass U-value and solar heat gain coefficient of clear insulated glass.

Koester says that the Zo-e-shield line, which has been available for about four months, has “pleasantly surprised” the company with sales. All Zo-e-shield products sell for a slight upcharge, but Koester notes that the improved energy payback on the windows and doors should negate that.