A new collection of blue-tinted architectural glasses by PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG) was recognized as a product of the year by subscribers to USGlass magazine.
The PPG glasses included two new substrates - dark-blue Pacifica and sky-blue Solarblue glasses - that can be combined with two reflective PPG glass coatings to create five distinct architectural tints.
Readers of USGlass magazine, which include glass retailers and glazing contractors across the country, were polled to determine the most significant product introductions of 2009. The PPG collection won in the "value-added" glass category.
Pacifica and Solarblue glasses were introduced in May at the 2009 American Institute of Architects (AIA) National Convention and Design Expo in San Francisco. Pacifica glass joined Atlantica, Azuria, Caribia and Solexia glasses as part of the Oceans of Color collection of nautically-inspired tinted glasses. Solarblue glass became part of PPG's line of Earth and Sky-toned glasses, which include Solargray, Solarbronze, Optigray 23 and Graylite glasses.
Architects can create three additional blue tints by adding Solarcool reflective coatings to Pacifica and Solarblue glasses, or by combining Pacifica glass with subtly-reflective, color-enriched Vistacool coatings. In addition, Pacifica glass may be combined in insulating glass units with color-neutral, low-emissivity coatings such as Sungate 500, Solarban 60 and Solarban 70XL glasses to generate light-to-solar gain (LSG) ratios up to 1.63. Solarblue glass with the same low-e coatings can achieve LSG ratios up to 1.84.
With these products, PPG now offers architects the industry's broadest palette of tints and performance options.