Evaluation of Thin Triple-Pane Windows in the PNNL Lab Homes

Technical Report · 30 April 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1811300· OSTI ID:1811300

Hunt, Walter E. ^[1]; Rosenberg, Samuel I. ^[1]; Cort, Katherine A. ^[1]

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1. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

In recent years, improvements in glass manufacturing have allowed the production of thin triple-pane windows, which are manufactured with a thickness similar to standard double-pane windows. Because this highly insulating “thin triple” glass product can be incorporated into almost any existing window frame and can be fabricated at a modest added cost, the U.S. Department of Energy is sponsoring laboratory and field demonstration testing of thin triple-pane windows to validate thermal performance and installation requirements in real-life field settings. To examine the performance of thin triple-pane windows, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) evaluated the windows at the PNNL Lab Homes, a matched pair of homes located on PNNL’s campus in Richland, Washington. In this study, one Lab Home contained a complete set of nine thin triple-pane windows, while the other Lab Home contained baseline double-pane windows. The Lab Homes experiments demonstrated significant that replacing clear glass double-pane windows with thin triple-pane windows provided year-round energy savings and reduced peak demand both in the heating and cooling seasons. The Lab Homes experiments also validated other performance benefits of the thin triple-pane windows including reduced condensation potential, more even temperatures throughout the home and near the windows, and reduced sound attenuation through the windows, leaving the home quieter and more comfortable for the occupants.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1811300
• Report Number(s): PNNL--31165
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
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acoustic benefits
high-efficiency windows
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high-r windows
triple-pane windows