Call us at 888.619.2226

Tag Archive for: glass paint

Photovoltaic glass can generate real power

/in , /by

Photovoltaic glass can generate real power

Photovoltaic glass can generate real power

Solar energy is moving to the forefront of the clean energy movement and photovoltaic glass may help bring the technology to more densely populated (and less sunny) areas. Until recently, the state of the solar energy industry was limited by the available collection technology. Solar energy was (and still is) most likely to be successful in areas that receive a lot of direct sunlight throughout the day.

Photovoltaic glass advances could change collectors

That tends to leave out regions like the Northeast, the Great Lakes and the Northwest, which are often under cloud cover. In these parts, solar energy is a passive, supplemental power source, and offers limited benefits.

One way to increase the amount of solar energy collected is to increase the size of the solar collector. In sparsely populated areas, large arrays can be constructed on the ground. This approach is not practical in urban areas, where the population is more densely concentrated.

Advances in the development of photovoltaic glass, however, are changing the established rules that governed where solar collectors are practical. In traditional solar collectors, the photovoltaic glass is dark, primarily to maximize the amount of non-visible light that gets collected. (It’s the non-visible light frequencies that are mostly responsible for heat generation.)

Unfortunately, to make the glass dark enough to harvest this type of solar radiation meant that the glass was too dark to transmit the visible light. This meant that the glass could not be used in windows and in other applications, where transparency is desirable.

New developments in photovoltaic glass include the development of glass that can absorb the invisible light spectrum and direct it toward the edges of the pane, where it can be converted to electricity. This material permits the transmission of visible light, so it can transform any window or glass surface into a solar energy collector. The material is currently about 20% transparent, which is still relatively dark. Further advances, however, could increase the transparency of this glass, and make photovoltaic glass practical for other applications.

In the meantime, another approach to reducing energy costs through glass is to block UV radiation from entering buildings. Glassprimer™ glass paint is specially formulated to bond permanently with glass. The paint is available in any color, and resists peeling, chipping and fading, even in direct sunlight. Reducing solar gain through selective obstruction can reduce energy costs year-round.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Pieter Edelman, via Flickr.com

Iconic Glass Structures – The Great Glasshouse

/in , /by
Iconic Glass Structures – The Great Glasshouse

Iconic Glass Structures – The Great Glasshouse

The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales is the largest single-span glasshouse in the world. The structure is about 72,000 square feet, most of which is covered by the dome. The 785 panels in the glass dome are operable, and are computer-controlled to optimize solar heat gain for the thousands of endangered plant species inside.

Glasshouse is home to endangered plants

The Great Glasshouse is home to endangered species from six regions of the world, including North America, Australia, South Africa, South America, the Mediterranean and Europe. The Garden’s collection of Mediterranean plants is the largest in the world, outside of natural growth in the Mediterranean itself.

The Great Glasshouse was designed by Foster + Partners, an architectural design firm in the UK. The Great Glasshouse is built into the hills of Carmarthenshire, Wales, and rises among them. The dome is situated on a concrete foundation that is covered by turf. Underground pathways provide access to the dome and the public areas underneath.

The dome was built to be sustainable, and is heated in the winter with a wood-burning biomass furnace. The dome also features a rainwater collection system that supplies “gray water” for irrigation and for the facility’s restrooms. The septic waste is treated onsite and returned safely to the ground.

The frame of the Great Glasshouse is tubular steel, and the panels employ an aluminum glazing system. The central arches of the dome rise perpendicular to the base, and the side arches rise on progressively steeper angles to create the dome’s elliptical shape.

The Great Glasshouse is open year round. The climate inside the dome is controlled to match the natural environment of the plants inside. All of the plants inside the dome share similar environmental needs, but are grouped in sections, according to their places of origin.

The Great Glasshouse is one example of the power of glass in construction. If you’re looking for some glass inspiration, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Charles Stirton , via Flickr.com

Glass bottomed boat tours shipwrecks

/in , /by

Glass bottomed boat tours shipwrecks

Glass bottomed boat tours shipwrecks

If you’re looking for something interesting to do on vacation, consider planning a visit to the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve in Alpena, MI. While you’re there, book yourself on a boat tour of Great Lakes shipwrecks. Given the nature of shipwrecks, you might wonder what you can see from a boat. The sanctuary offers tours using a glass bottomed boat, so you’ll be able to see plenty.

Glass bottomed boat eliminates distortion

There are thousands of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, and the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary hosts about 200 of them. More than half of the wrecks in the TBNMS are historically significant. The sanctuary received its designation in 2000, and has since been expanded to cover 4,300 square miles of Lake Huron. The TBNMS is one of 13 areas designated as underwater preserves in the State of Michigan. On shore, visitors can learn about the lakes and shipwrecks in the preserve at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center.

Water in the area is very clear and in many spots in the sanctuary the water is shallow, so the glass bottomed boat allows visitors to see the wrecks clearly. Glass bottomed boats give visitors a better, more clear view of the shipwrecks because they eliminate the distortion that occurs when looking directly into the water from the surface.

Shipping was and is a major mode of transportation for both raw materials and finished goods in the Great Lakes region, so the majority of shipwrecks involve commercial liners and transports. Although many of the wrecks in the sanctuary are documented, the area still holds a number of undiscovered wrecks. These ships were known to have been lost in the vicinity, but have not yet been rediscovered.

Many of the wrecks in the sanctuary date to the 18th and 19th centuries, although there are some 20th century wrecks. One of the most recent wrecks, the Nordmeer, was lost in shallow water in 1966 after the pilot made a navigational error. Although the owners intended to refloat the boat, a storm destroyed the hull, so the boat was abandoned as-is in the sanctuary.

A glass bottomed boat tour may not be in your future, but you can still take advantage of glass as a decorating surface in a residential or commercial space. If you’re looking for some glass inspiration, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory , via Flickr.com

Glass recycling strategies emerge

/in , /by

Glass recycling strategies emerge

Glass recycling strategies emerge

Glass recycling is shaping up to be one of the great environmental dilemmas of our time. On one hand, people like to recycle glass. It makes them feel good to know that their glass isn’t going to end up in the landfill. Glass manufacturers and producers like recycling glass. The process reduces their energy consumption, and makes the manufacturing process simpler. The process to make “new” glass from recycled stock can consume about 30% less energy, so there’s real incentive to incorporate recycled glass.

Glass recycling is strategically important but unprofitable

On the other hand, recycling glass is easier said than done. The logistics involved in recycling glass are complicated, often because glass is hard to handle, store and transport. Materials reclamation facilities (MRF) are the first stop for recyclables after they’re picked up at the curb. The glass and other materials are sorted and stored, and therein lies the problem. Glass comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. It’s also not homogenous, so it needs to be sorted. Plate glass (float glass) is different than container glass, and the two materials have to be recycled separately.

And then there’s the issue of breakage. Breakage itself isn’t really a problem, since ultimately, recycled glass does get broken into smaller pieces known as “cullet.” But broken glass is hard to handle when you’re not at the cullet stage.

Recyclers don’t want to devote storage space to glass, or handle the volume of glass that gets broken while in their custody. Complicating the equation is the cost of recycled glass. It’s dropped to the point of being more expensive than new glass, and transportation of glass for recycling is expensive. From an economic standpoint, there’s not much incentive to recycle glass.

Industry groups such as the Glass Recycling Coalition are working to establish best practices for municipal glass recycling programs, partially in an effort to make sure they don’t disappear. One reason that getting the glass recycling question right is important is because people are watching. If the glass they put at the curb for recycling ends up in the landfill, they’re less likely to recycle other materials.

One potential option for glass is reusing it, rather than recycling it. Glass can potentially be incorporated into concrete mixtures, fiberglass and aggregate used in road paving. The future of glass recycling isn’t clear, at this point, but glass is becoming a popular and economical surface for decorating.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is specially formulated to bond permanently to glass. It offers superior UV resistance and when applied according to manufacturer guidelines, is guaranteed to perform for at least 10 years.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Jon Callow, via Flickr.com

Diamond Glass Aims for 500-lb Gorilla

/in , /by

Diamond Glass Aims for 500-lb Gorilla

Diamond Glass Aims for 500-lb Gorilla

A semiconductor startup in Illinois claims to have created a mobile device screen that’s four times more crack-resistant and seven times more scratch resistant than Corning’s industry-owning Gorilla Glass. The screen is diamond coated, which the company says makes it exceptionally resistant to damage.

Diamond glass isn’t the first gemstone-glass combination

This isn’t the first time that glass and gemstones have met. Apple uses sapphire coated glass in its iWatch to help the device stand up to daily abuse. Ahkan Semiconductor says that it has developed the glass and can manufacture it using a vapor deposition process, which is mass production friendly.

Can diamond-coated glass be manufactured cheaply and quickly enough to meet market demand? Is there any likelihood that the diamond-coated glass, known as Akhan Miraj NCD, will displace Corning’s Gorilla Glass? The company is not yet mass producing the product, and is looking for licensees so the new super-tough glass won’t show up in mobile devices in the immediate future, but incorporating diamonds could significantly improve a device’s ability to withstand drops and dings.

Just last month, Corning announced an upgrade to Gorilla Glass. The new formulation can withstand 80% of drops from shoulder height, but that may not be enough to top the new approach. According to the company, the Akhan Miraj NCD is 800 times thinner than Gorilla Glass, and can flex up to 45° without breaking.

The vapor deposition combined with microwave radiation allows synthetic diamonds to be “grown” on the surface of the glass. According to the company, the glass is much cheaper to make than sapphire glass, and is in theory more desirable because diamonds are more scratch-resistant than sapphires.

Akhan says it can have the glass in full-scale production in about a year. Akhan says it would consider a license agreement with Corning, so the companies could become partners, rather than competitors.

Although the glass is intended for use with mobile devices, in theory, it could find other uses. If you’re interested in considering the possible uses of glass, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Ch’7K, via Flickr.com

Solar Windows Generate Electricity

/in , /by

Solar Windows Generate Electricity

Solar Windows Generate Electricity

Last month, Solar Window Technologies, a Columbia, MD company, introduced SolarWindow, a solar electricity generation and transmission system that is applied to windows. The product generates clean electricity via transparent organic coatings that are applied in thin layers to glass surface.

Solar windows use “invisible” wires

The company is developing the windows specifically for use in urban office buildings, which consume about 40% of all electricity nationwide. The coating incorporates “invisible wires” that transport the generated electricity to the building’s electrical system. The “invisible wires” are about 50µm wide, about half of the width of a human hair. The wires are virtually undetectable by the human eye. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, the electricity generating glass is able to be mass produced

Solar Window Technologies claims that the windows offer a one-year payback, based on installation on a 50-story building. That compares with a return-on-investment period of between 5-11 years using conventional solar collection over a 10-12 acre installation. Although the company has specifically targeted the product for urban structures, the glass could also be installed in residential structures.

The company has also been working on a way to convert existing windows to solar collectors without requiring replacement of the existing glass surface. The windows are still in the development stage and are not currently available. Solar Window Technologies does not yet know when it will be able to bring the solar windows to market, but it has been working closely with the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory to develop the product, with the intent of rapid commercialization.

Windows play an increasingly important role in buildings, both for light transmission and energy consumption. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be used to help control light and the buildup of heat. Glassprimer™ glass paint is UV-resistant and exceptionally durable, in part because it forms a permanent bond with the surface of the glass. Controlling solar heat gain can also significantly reduce energy consumption, and prevent heat loss in the winter.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Fellowship of the Rich, via Flickr.com

Glass skateboard trial doesn’t go well

/in , /by

Glass skateboard trial doesn't go well

Glass skateboard trial doesn’t go well

Skateboards can be made from a lot of creative materials, but apparently glass isn’t one of them. Video of the test ride of a glass skateboard surfaced last month, and it illustrates the limits of glass pretty well.

Glass skateboard more for show

The glass skateboard was made by a company called Avenue Trucks, a California-based company that makes skateboard suspension systems. The idea behind the glass skateboard was that the suspension would support the glass and make for a pretty smooth ride. According to the video, it made for a pretty cool appearance, but the board itself couldn’t stand up to the tricks, with predictable results. (Perhaps acrylic next time?)

If you’re looking for predictable results with glass, try working with Glassprimer™ glass paint, instead. Glassprimer™ glass paint was specifically engineered to adhere to glass surfaces – but it does more than just adhere. The paint actually forms a permanent bond at the nanoparticle level with glass, which means it won’t chip, won’t fade and won’t peel, even in high humidity, direct sunlight and other challenging conditions.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is available in virtually any color. We can tint it to match paint from any major paint manufacturer’s paint palette, which means that you can apply Glassprimer™ glass paint to glass and other non-porous surfaces, and use ordinary paint for ordinary surfaces. The colors will match perfectly, and your results will be brilliant!

Glassprimer™ glass paint is highly affordable, too. You can cover surfaces for about $1 per square foot, and because the catalyst and paint are mixed at the time of application, you can store your unused paint until you’re ready for your next project.

Glassprimer™ glass paint cleans easily, too. Using ordinary paint thinners (or water if you’re using the water-based version), you can clean Glassprimer™ from your tools and workspace in a snap! Both version of the paint are certified low-VOC compounds, so you can breathe easy after your paint project is complete!

For more glass inspiration, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Bo, via Flickr.com

Iconic Glass Structures – Edifici Gas Natural

/in , /by

Iconic Glass Structures – Edifici Gas Natural

Iconic Glass Structures – Edifici Gas Natural

Barcelona is home to a number of distinctive iconic glass structures, not the least of which is Edifici Gas Natural, also known as Torre Mare Nostrum. This 20-story building is unusual, not because it’s clad in 18,000 square meters of solar-control glass, but because of its distinctive cantilevered extension. The extension, which rises to half of the building’s height, appears to float off the side of the vertical tower.

Glass building transitions old to new

The building houses the offices of the natural gas utility in the city, and was built on the site of the city’s original natural gas plant. Like the tower itself, the cantilevered extension is also fully occupied workspace. Architects Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue of EMBT submitted the winning building design, but Miralles never saw the completed project. He died shortly after his design was accepted.

Because the glass used in the building is low-emissivity coated glass, the building is highly energy efficient. The architects intended to create a landmark for the Barcelona skyline, and they succeeded. At the same time, the building is close to low-rise housing, so the designers wanted their building to “communicate” with the surrounding low-rise buildings.

The building is located on the edge of an area of the city known as La Barceloneta, which borders the Mediterranean Sea, and was originally constructed in the mid-1700’s. La Barceloneta is a gateway to the rest of the city, but it is still largely residential, which explains the architects’ desire to avoid building a tower that did rose abruptly among the surrounding low-rise buildings.

The building has been complete for just 11 years, and offers a distinctively modern appearance. In addition to the low-rise buildings, the Torre Mare Nostrum is also near two other skyscrapers also designed in the High-Tech Architecture style – the Hotel Arts and the Torre Mapfre.

If you’re looking for some glass inspiration, please check out the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Teresa Grau Ros , via Flickr.com

Google Glass applications abound

/in , /by

GooglGlass applications abound

Google Glass applications abound

Google’s short-lived experiment with wearable technology may not be so short-lived after all. Recently, reports of Google Glass’s role in different medical treatments came to light. Now, aircraft manufacturer Boeing says that it uses Google Glass to aid technicians in the assembly of airplanes.

Business may rescue Google Glass

That’s probably good news for Google, based on new information that suggests that Google is getting ready to re-release Glass as a business-only product. The latest iteration of Glass is expected to have the basics – a display camera, a touchpad and the “eyeglass” frame. It’s also expected to include a bigger display, a built in rechargeable battery, a newer CPU and support for 5 GHz Wi-Fi.

The focus on business seems to reflect the high potential for business applications. Doctors can use a Google Glass based transcription service to make notes in a patient’s medical records as an exam is taking place. A transcriptionist is connected via Glass to the doctor, so the doctor has immediate access to reference information in the medical record. According to doctors who use the service, it saves about 90 minutes each day, which permits additional time to see more patients.

Boeing says it uses Google Glass to provide information to electricians making wiring harnesses for their airplanes. Up to this point, Boeing’s techs have used .pdf based schematics displayed on a laptop screen. Each harness is constructed manually, owing in part to the high degree of complexity of the harness, and the stakes involved in getting the harnesses right.

Once Boeing applied Google Glass to the process, it reported that its production time was reduced by 25% and half of all errors were eliminated. Not all of Boeing’s success is due to Glass as it comes out of the box. Boeing had a special app developed for its technicians that scans QR codes, displays the appropriate harness schematics and responds to the technician’s voice commands.

Boeing says that it may also introduce Google Glass into its operations on the assembly line and perhaps even on International Space Station.

Glassprimer™ glass paint doesn’t have built-in 5 GHz wireless support, but it does offer superior UV resistance and creates a permanent bond with glass surfaces. If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Geoff Livingston, via Flickr.com

Tunable glass goes opaque instantly

/in , /by

Tunable glass goes opaque instantly

Tunable glass goes opaque instantly

Tunable glass – glass that can transition from clear to opaque – isn’t new. This special type of glass is composed of nano-sized crystals and metals that work together when jolted with electricity. The current production method for tunable glass involves vapor deposition, a painstaking process that is neither rapid nor cheap.

New approach to tunable glass

Two Harvard researchers have developed an inexpensive alternative that converts glass from transparent to opaque in less than a second. Better still, the production methodology promises to be much less expensive to manufacture.

According to the researchers, their approach is based on a physical reaction rather than a chemical one, so it allows the glass to make the transition much more rapidly. The tunable glass consists of a sheet of glass sandwiched between two sheets of a soft elastomer. The elastomeric layers have been coated with silver nanowires and are transparent in the absence of electrical current.

Once a current is applied, the nanowires are attracted to each other and deform the elastomeric layers. The deformation causes transmitted light to scatter, rather than pass through the window. The opacity of the layer increases as the current increases. Sufficient current will cause the windows to become completely opaque.

Currently, the researchers’ approach to tunable glass is still in the tweaking stage. The researchers hope to create an even thinner layer of silver nanowires, which would allow the technique to use less current. They’ve also applied for a patent in the hope that their technique can soon be brought to market.
Being able to control light as it approaches glass is a key component of energy efficiency in modern construction. Opaque glass can also create privacy in urban areas, where dense construction is the norm.

Glassprimer™ glass paint offers the opportunity to do both affordably. Glassprimer™ glass paint is highly UV-resistant, which means it can be used to coat glass in a way that allows light to penetrate, but rejects the heat-producing UV-radiation. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be applied permanently to glass to create an opaque effect for about $1 per square foot. That’s less expensive than using traditional frosted glass. And unlike frosted glass, Glassprimer™ glass paint comes in virtually any color.

If you’d like more information about decorating with Glassprimer™ glass paint, or about its UV-resistance, please check out the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: tanakawho, via Flickr.com