Glass Has No Ceiling!

With constant innovation, the potential of glass in green building is limitless, says Vikram Khanna. The real estate industry has started showing signs of revival on the back of government initiatives and is projected to touch $180 billion by 2020, offering huge potential for growth. New government proposals, such as the development of 100 smart cities, as well as a focus on roads, railways and manufacturing hubs, are also expected to boost the opportunities for growth in this segment. Glass is green The ongoing shift towards green buildings shall only push demand for high-performance glass, opening up a huge opportunity for expansion in the architectural segment. Faced with increasing environmental degradation, eco-friendly living is the new mantra. Naturally, living and work places are also transforming to reflect the green revolution. And, in this transformation, glass is emerging as one of the most effective building materials. For decades, the dream of a ´nearly zero-energy´ building has lured architects and builders around the world into innovating new technologies and building materials to create smart and sustainable infrastructure. With this dream fast turning into reality, green buildings are becoming a norm globally, through innovative use of glass in buildings that reduce air-conditioning load and need for artificial lighting, and thus minimises energy consumption. Additional costs incurred in making green buildings are more than compensated by reduced operational costs compared to conventional buildings. India is at the forefront of the green building revolution through focused initiatives towards creation of effective green building material that addresses key parameters, such as the solar factor, heat gain, U-value, visual comfort, safety and sound insulation. With new types of glazing solutions - internal and external - spaces are becoming more efficient, even as new possibilities are being unleashed in terms of design and aesthetics. The AIS advantage AIS has taken the lead in delivering green solutions for an eco-friendly future, with innovations in glass processing technology, to develop both single-glazed and double-glazed products with the best green parameters. The result is greater choice for developers and architects, with the ability to explore new building solutions that enhance the aesthetics, energy-efficiency and economics of commercial and residential spaces. Based on climatic study and optimum orientation, AIS works on a 4G approach and provides shading and daylight analysis, whole building simulation, wind load analysis and acoustics analysis. It then generates a comparative analysis (with cost-benefit mapping) to make recommendations best suited for the customer. Taking complete ownership across the value chain, with an array of services such as new product development, float manufacturing, soft coat manufacturing, glass processing, customer servicing, R&D market study and quality assurance, AIS is able to ensure substantial savings in glazing and total construction costs. Pioneering products With its green solutions, AIS is continuously pioneering innovations in glass processing technology to develop products that feature the best green parameters. As intelligent sustainable solutions become a way of life, our Ecosense range strikes the perfect balance between outdoors and indoors, function and finesse. Developed to suit the unique climatic conditions of the Indian subcontinent, Ecosense meets the needs of Indian consumers who traditionally require more cooling than heating and want to prevent solar radiation from coming in. Optimally medium to low U-value, rather than extremely low U-value, and optimum light are what the Indian consumers want and what Ecosense intelligently gives them. A natural choice for all environment-friendly architecture, Ecosense is now widely used on exterior facades to keep indoor spaces brighter and cooler. It allows light to pass through a window or face, while radiating, absorbing and reflecting away a large degree of the near-range infrared heat. This glass variety comes in three different product ranges: Ecosense Enhance Solar Control, Ecosense Exceed Solar Control Low-E and Ecosense Essence Low-E range, each in a variety of colours customised to consumer taste. Another ´smart´ product recently launched by AIS is Swytchglas. This is a special glass that turns from being transparent to translucent, and vice versa, with the press of a button. Made with polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) film, and operable with both remote and manual control, it ensures instant privacy in contemporary form. It is ideal for personal spaces, office cabins and modern conference rooms. Sustainable and smart In addition to the development of new products, we are also focused on improving process efficiencies and achieving waste reduction. Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities are now working on lower power consumption with higher product quality and output. Our innovating smart fuel gas monitoring system increases the energy-efficiency of the float glass furnace. Further, our durable coatings can be used in single glazing and are also recyclable, use renewable resources, can be locally or regionally produced, contribute to energy-efficiency, have low environmental impact, and are affordable. During FY2016, AIS is looking forward to take the responsibility of creating new buildings that are energy-efficient, and expects the opening of many avenues and innovations with respect to energy-efficiency in the next five years. As an environmentally conscious organisation seeking to deliver sustainable growth, AIS is constantly innovating to create new, more energy-efficient products. About the author: Vikram Khanna, COO-Consumer Glass, COO-Architectural Institutional Business, CMO, CIO, Asahi Glass India, has integrated several functions within the organisation that has resulted in greater cohesion and efficiency, helping various departments cut down costs and streamline various revenue-generating operations. Over the past 18 years, he has enhanced the value of every department that he has been a part of, contributing to the overall growth of the company.