Advanced low-E glass helps improve sustainability of award-winning building
The Watsonville Water Resource Center in California, which earned LEED® Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, uses SOLARBAN® 60 glass by PPG Industries as part of a comprehensive bioclimatic energy management system.
In addition to being oriented on an east-west axis, the center features skylights, operable clerestory windows and rooftop vents that aid in temperature management and allow natural air and light to flow through the interior. Solar heat gain is also mitigated by eaves and by trees along the southern edge of the building.
The 16,000-square-foot building houses three different city and county water departments serving California’s Pajaro Valley and supports a large water recycling project that helps meet the area’s extensive agricultural needs.
Solarban 60 glass has visible light transmittance (VLT) of 70% and a solar heat gain coefficient of (SHGC) 0.38 with clear glass in a standard 1-inch insulating glass unit (IGU). The resulting light-to-solar gain (LSG) ratio of 1.85 is among the highest in the industry.