A quick look at the recycled glass technology Saint Gobain ORAE
Saint Gobain has launched its latest technical glazing product ORAE. The breakthrough glass product is the first glass with the lowest embodied carbon on the façade market. The Saint Gobain ORAE product is the world’s first low carbon glass with approximately 40% less embodied carbon than a typical clear glass pane. While architects and specifiers all over the globe look for further ways to improve the sustainability of their designs and reduce carbon footprints, the Saint Gobain ORAE sees the latest step forward in using glass as part of a sustainable building design. The purpose of the sustainable glass product was to help significantly mitigate the level of carbon created because of construction, which in turn is accelerating the levels of sustainability that the company aims to achieve.
The Sustainability Facts
The new ORAE glass from Saint Gobain has an estimated carbon footprint of only 7kg CO2 eq/m2 bringing a reduction carbon down by around 40%. It is able to do this via a high percentage of recycled glass content within the glass substrate (around 70% cullet). The manufacturing techniques of the new glass are also sustainable and powered from renewable energy. The resulting glass panel can be combined with the Saint Gobain performance coatings to create a highly insulating glass unit that can form part of a glass façade.
ORAE Glass Specification
The aesthetics of the ORAE recycled glass product is the same as the standard Saint Gobain glass in terms of light transmission and clarity and has been designed specifically for facades. The recycled glass product offers low eternal reflection and a neutral tone for a clear glass design. Saint Gobain have advertised that the new solution is available in standard sizes and thicknesses of 4, 6 , 8 and 10mm however, 6mm is the only base product currently available. The recycled glass panes can have any typical Saint Gobain coating applied and then integrated into a double or triple glazed unit for high performance insulation.
Specifying Saint Gobain ORAE
Architects and specifiers must keep in mind that the ORAE product from Saint Gobain is currently a very new technology. The recycled glass product is currently not held in stock and ordered by glass producers on a project-by-project basis. This will mean an increased lead time over typical glass products. Saint Gobain has currently implemented a minimum order value of 400m2 of glass which means the ORAE glass product is currently only suitable for large or substantial glazing subcontracts.
If you would like to discuss any further technical details of the ORAE glass or would like to look at specifying it on a project please contact the team at IQ here. If you’re looking at learning more about the sustainability of glazing you can download our Architectural Glazing and Sustainability eBook here.
Lewis Cox
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- Latest Glass Technology: Saint Gobain ORAE - February 14, 2023
