Johnson Controls has selected Serious Materials to super-insulate more than 6,500 windows for the Empire State Building’s energy efficiency retrofit project.
Serious Materials will provide its SeriousGlass™ technology through a sustainable production process that will directly reduce energy costs by more than $400,000 per year. In a first-of-its-kind process, Serious Materials will reuse all existing glass and create super-insulating glass units (IGUs) in a dedicated production space located in the Empire State Building. The new IGUs then will be re-installed and will increase the thermal performance of the windows by up to four times its current thermal performance, improving the R-value of the older dual pane windows from R2 to R-values ranging from R-5 to R-8. The super-insulating new windows will also reduce solar heat gain by more than 50% compared to the older windows.
Johnson Controls is overseeing the full Empire State Building retrofit project, with team of energy efficiency experts including the Clinton Climate Initiative, Jones Lang LaSalle, and Rocky Mountain Institute.The window upgrade process is one of eight individual measures that are expected to reduce energy use by 38 percent and save $4.4 million per year in energy costs and save 105,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide over the next 15 years.
Manufacturing Innovation: A Sustainable Approach to Glass Retrofitting
As part of Serious Materials’ solution, a 5,000 square foot processing space will be built on-site in the Empire State Building and will serve as the production line for super-insulating SeriousGlass glass units. The existing glass of the building’s 6,514 double-hung windows will be removed from the window frames, separated, and cleaned in the processing space. New super-insulating IGUs will be produced using the old glass panes, new spacers, suspended coated film, and special gas fill. The IGUs will be re-installed into the existing window frames.
Removal and re-installation of glass will occur during evening hours to avoid any disruption to building tenants and occupants. Serious Materials also will install the company’s QuietRock® soundproof drywall in the processing space to protect neighboring tenants from noise during construction.
By reusing existing glass and producing the new glass on-site, the process eliminates virtually all waste, saves energy, and reduces replacement costs.
“The Empire State building represents a model to others who may look to emulate what is being done at this landmark building from an energy efficiency standpoint. Our team has focused on providing the best energy solutions. The super-insulating windows will reduce energy use and produce savings that will payback in three years,” said Iain Campbell, vice president and general manager, Global Energy & WorkPlace Solutions, Johnson Controls.
“Serious Materials competed with the most prominent manufacturers and service providers for a key component of our program to make our energy savings goals a reality,” said Anthony E. Malkin of building owner, Empire State Building Company. “Their expertise and ingenuity at competitive standards won them the job. When the total project is done, we will have happier tenants, a more comfortable environment in all seasons, and long-term energy and cost savings. Johnson Controls has guaranteed that the integrated 8 measures, including windows, will provide us a payback within just 3 years.”
“Customers are the focus of everything we do at Serious Materials,” said Kevin Surace, CEO of Serious Materials. “When we heard that retrofitting the dual-pane windows was a key component of the cost-efficient upgrade program, we went to work and came up with a solution never before attempted. We expect to use this model with other major efficiency projects throughout the world with customers who want to save real money in their buildings.”
Visit www.SeriousMaterials.com/ESB for more information about how SeriousGlass contributes to the whole-building energy efficiency retrofit of the Empire State Building.
About Serious Materials
Serious Materials develops and manufactures sustainable green building materials that save energy, save money, improve comfort, and help address climate change. Serious Materials’ products are manufactured in the company’s 5 factories across North America. For more information, visit http://www.SeriousMaterials.com.
About Empire State Building
The “World’s Most Famous Office Building,” the Empire State Building is in the midst of the more than $550 million Empire State ReBuilding program as the flagship of the W&H Properties portfolio of Pre-War Trophy office buildings. Since the Empire State ReBuilding program began in 2007, new investments in infrastructure, public areas and amenities have attracted new, first-rate tenants in a diverse array of industries from around the world. The skyscraper’s robust broadcasting platform makes it the most important broadcast facility in the most important market in the world. The Empire State Building was named America’s favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects. The Empire State Building Observatory is the region’s #1 tourist destination. For more information on the Empire State Building, please visit www.esbnyc.com.
