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by Barbara Horwitz-Bennett Contributing writer

While the aesthetics and occupant comfort delivered by high performing glass facades are well known, the return on investment and related cost efficiencies are not well documented. Furthermore, it is architects’ and building owners’ perception that high-performance glass facades are a very costly investment.

Seeking to prove that high-performance glass buildings can yield a solid ROI, Vitro commissioned a third party to perform an extensive post-occupancy study and then released the results in an easy-to-digest whitepaper, “True Story of a Successful Façade: A Proven Case of Savings, Comfort and Aesthetics.”

The unique case study was performed for the 68-story KOI Tower in Monterrey, Mexico, the country’s second tallest building, mostly built with Solarban R100 Optiblue glass double glazing. The post-occupancy study was performed by Three

The study found an annual operational cost savings of $589,880, which, over the life of the building, is expected to yield $25.5 million in savings.

Consultoría Medioambiental who scientifically evaluated the tower’s cost savings, profitability, and occupant comfort levels over three years of operation and compared the data with other glass systems. Going straight to the bottom line, the study found an annual operational cost savings of $589,880, which, over the life of the building, is expected to yield $25.5 million in savings.

Trace 700 software was used to determine that the high-performance glass contributes to a 28% reduction in tons of cooling for HVAC equipment. This also enabled reduced mechanical equipment capacity, duct sizes, electrical installations that supply power to the systems, and labor during installation. Taken together, the study reports annual HVAC operational cost savings of more than $595,000 per year.

As compared to a baseline 12mm monolithic clear glass, where 76% of the total floor’s thermal load was shown to enter through the glass façade, the highperformance Solarban glass only allows 49% of the heat gain to pass through the glass. Consequently, an additional 27% reduction in solar heat gain was achieved with the low-e glass for the LEED Silvercertified high-rise.

Three Consultoría Medioambiental performed a three-year post-occupancy study for the 68-story KOI Tower in Monterrey, Mexico.

In documenting a threeyear operational period and comparing Solarban R100 Optiblue glass double glazing in the KOI Tower with other glass systems, the selected glazing showed a lower annual operational cost and a higher level of thermal comfort at a lower initial investment for the glass and HVAC systems.

To evaluate solar radiation, thermal comfort and natural lighting, the environmental consultant utilized Integrated Environmental Solution’s iesve7 program. The results showed a 15.7% increase in thermal comfort and a 13.7% reduction in glare, when compared to the 12mm clear monolithic glass. The analysis also found that the Solarban R100 Optiblue glass provides thermal comfort 90% of the time, despite Mexico’s warm, semi-arid climate.

As to why the building developer Internacional de Inversiones chose to undertake such an extensive post-op study, Marketing Manager Daniela Sepulveda explains, “We are proud of the efficiency of the building and want to share with the community what a building could do to the environment and how you could make a development profitable and sustainable at the same time.”

The double-glazed, insulated glass system also contributes to the structural stability required by wind-challenged high-rise structures like the KOI Tower. Further establishing the building’s high level of sustainability, the evaluation found that more than 73,355 tons of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) will be mitigated over the life of the structure. This is equivalent to removing 36,979 vehicles from circulation.

“The evidence collected with this study demonstrates that it is possible to have a high-performing glazing system and recover your investment immediately, in addition to enjoying the constant savings and qualitative benefits (comfort) that this type of glass provides,” the study states.

To see all the results, visit: www.vitroglazings.com