The Usage of Glass as an Alternative Conservation of

Energy
REAH KEM N. GONZALES
Department of Engineering, Cebu Technological University, Argao, Cebu
reahkem.gonzales@gmail.com

Abstract: The Use of Glass as an Alternative Energy Conservation Method

As well as a variety of approaches and measures to tackle the concerns. This includes the type of
glass, the raw materials used, how the glass is processed, and waste management or disposal.

The first section of this paper goes over the content in classification and glass properties that are
relevant to the topic. Furthermore, this document introduces the fundamental concept of glass and
how it can be used to save or conserve energy.

This document demonstrates that glass is a resource-efficient material derived from abundant
natural raw materials such as sand and glass waste (cullets). Glass is a fully recyclable material
that can be recycled multiple times in a closed loop.

1. INTRODUCTION automotive, aviation, and other modes of transportation

Glass is indeed a sustainable, 100 % recyclable to reduce vehicle weight and fuel consumption.
substance that has numerous environmental benefits,

including helping to mitigate climate change and
conserving precious natural resources. It is also highly
valued in many applications due to its inert nature and
contributions to people's health and well-being.
Glass can help save energy in a variety of
applications. It is most obvious in the case of
insulating glass for windows and facades, but it also
applies to less well-known products such as weight-
lightening reinforcement glass fiber used in
Glass is also used to generate renewable energy via
solar-thermal and photovoltaic applications, as well as
wind turbines, which benefit greatly from light weight
reinforcement glass fibers.
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside's
Bourns College of Engineering created Nano silicon
anodes for high-performance lithium-ion batteries using
waste glass bottles and a low-cost chemical process. The
batteries will increase the range of electric vehicles and
plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, as well as provide
more power with fewer charges to personal
electronics such as cell phones and laptop computers.
Glass is a resource-efficient material made from
plentiful natural raw materials such as sand and glass
waste (cullets). Glass is a fully recyclable material
that can be recycled in a closed loop multiple time.
This is especially true for glass bottles, which have a
recycling rate ranging from 50% to 80% on average.
Significant amounts of raw materials are saved and
natural resources are preserved as a result of glass
recycling. Glass recycling saves energy because
cullets melt at a lower temperature than raw materials.
As a result, the melting process requires less energy.
2. TYPES/PROPERTIES/CLASSIFICATION
Glass is a hard, brittle substance that is typically
transparent or translucent. It could be made of a
mixture of sand, soda, lime, or other materials. The
most common glass forming process involves heating
raw materials until they become molten liquid, then
rapidly cooling the material to form hardened glass.
Glass has a high hardness value in comparison to
many other materials. However, most types of glass
are naturally brittle, making them prone to breakage or
fracturing in applications involving impacts, pressures,
or stresses. Engineers and manufacturers must
thoroughly process glass according to optimal
strengthening/tempering protocols to eliminate this
inherent brittleness.
Energy efficiency is an essential component of
sustainable design. Modern architecture makes extensive
use of glass to create magnificent, awe-inspiring
structures that let in an abundance of natural light.
Ordinary glass can transmit up to 80% of outdoor heat
indoors. This can be a disadvantage in commercial
settings with façades made of numerous glass panes
because it puts a lot of strain on cooling and heating
devices. It not only raises your energy bills significantly,
but it also makes your interiors uncomfortable, reducing
productivity. As a result, specially designed energy-
efficient glass is available on the market, specifically
designed to achieve sustainable operating costs for
commercial infrastructure.
Energy-Efficient Glass Types
Energy-efficient glazing can be found in both residential
and commercial buildings. The sweltering heat is
common in India for at least 8 months of the year,
especially if you do not live in the north. High- This is a special oxide-coated glass that allows less solar

performance glass is ideal if your home receives a lot heat and glare to enter the home. It allows plenty of

of sunlight throughout the day. There are three types natural light to pass through while reducing solar glare

of high-performance glass, which are discussed and heat. This visible light is gentle on the skin and

further below. reduces the need for artificial lighting inside your home

Low-E Optical Glass or office during the day. Solar control glass shields your

Low E glass, also known as low emissivity glass, home from infrared (IR) rays. When it comes to

provides excellent thermal insulation. It only lets in absorbing ultraviolet (UV) rays, it is not as effective as

solar light while reflecting the majority of the low E glass.

scorching heat. This type of high-performance glass Solar Control glass is appropriate for conservatory roofs,

also shields your building's interiors from harmful shopping malls, showrooms, glass facades, and

ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) rays. educational institutions. These locations are mostly

Low E glass provides improved thermal comfort in all operational during the day and can benefit from natural

types of weather. It prevents a large amount of cool light for increased productivity by using energy-efficient

conditioned air from escaping from a building, glass.

allowing your interiors to remain at an optimal Solar Control-Low E Glass

temperature range during the hot months. Low E glass tends to trap more heat inside, which can

Alternatively, during the colder months, it prevents cause overheating, particularly when directly exposed to

warm air from leaking inside, keeping your interiors solar glare. In such cases, using low E glass or solar

warm. This thermal comfort significantly reduces control glass on its own may not be sufficient for glass

your heating and cooling bills. When compared to façades that are exposed to direct sunlight for an

insulated glass panels, low E glass panes are even extended period of time. Solar control-low E glass, on

more energy efficient. They are commonly used on the other hand, is an ideal solution in such cases because

the exteriors of skyscrapers, hotels, and other it blocks solar radiation while also providing the optimal

structures. amount of thermal insulation without overheating or

Solar Control Glass overcooling the interiors.

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, for example, has countless from product selection to installation to excellent after-

glass panes that are subjected to solar glare on a daily sales service.

basis. To reduce the building's air-conditioning costs, Density

solar control-low E glass was used in this façade. If The atoms in a glassy solid are packed less densely than

you require a high-performance, energy-efficient in a corresponding crystal, resulting in larger interstitial

glass, choose solar control-low E glass. This type of spaces, or holes between atoms. These interstitial spaces

glass is more expensive to install than the previous collectively constitute free volume, and they are

two options, but the costs are justified in the long run responsible for a glass's lower density when compared to

when your energy bills are significantly reduced. a crystal. The density of silica glass, for example, is

The Bottom Line about 2% lower than that of its closest crystalline

Without a doubt, high-performance glass allows for counterpart, the silica mineral low-cristobalite. The

increased daylight inclusion while not increasing addition of alkali and lime, on the other hand, would

energy bills. Come to AIS Glasxperts if you're looking cause the glass's density to steadily increase as network-

for high-performance, energy-efficient glass modifying sodium and calcium ions filled the interstitial

solutions. A good example would be AIS Glasxperts' spaces. As a result, commercial soda-lime-silica glasses

Ecosense Exceed Solar Control Low-E glass. This have a higher density than low-cristobalite. Density

collection of energy-efficient glass keeps indoor closely follows additivity behavior.

spaces brighter and cooler while also allowing plenty Elasticity and plasticity

of natural light to pass through. Because glass is isotropic, only two independent elastic

Purchasing and installing high-quality energy- moduli are normally measured: Young's modulus, which

efficient glass is critical for the operational measures a solid's ability to recover from lengthwise

optimization of your façade as well as employee tension or compression, and shear modulus, which

productivity. The professionals at AIS Glasxperts measures its ability to recover from transverse stress.

understand this and offer complete solutions to all of Young's modulus and shear modulus are not strongly

your glass-related problems. We have you covered affected by the chemical composition of oxide glasses.
A diamond micro indenter is used to determine the square inch), owing to the presence of scratches and

hardness of glass. When this instrument is used on a microscopic flaws, mostly on the surface.

glassy surface, it clearly shows evidence of plastic Surface flaws in glass are apparently caused by abrasion

deformation—or a permanent change in dimension. with most solids, including the touch of a finger and, in

Otherwise, there is no plastic deformation of glass (or particular, another piece of glass that rubs against it

ductility), which is commonly observed in strength during manufacture. Flaws have a stress-concentrating

tests as the necking of a specimen placed under effect, which means that the effective stress at the tip of

tension; instead, glass failure is brittle—that is, the a flaw can easily be 100 to 1,000 times higher than the

glass object fractures suddenly and completely. The applied stress. Tensile stresses that exceed a low limit,

atomic structure of a glassy solid can explain this known as the fatigue limit, cause the flaw to grow a

behavior. Because molten glass atoms are essentially subcritical crack. Eventually, the crack's growth velocity

frozen in their amorphous order when it cools, they do approaches its terminal limit, depending on the applied

not orient themselves into the sheets or planes that are stress, the shape of the flaw, the temperature, and even

typical of growing crystalline grains. the corrosiveness of the environment, and failure

Fracture and strength becomes imminent.

When tested in its pristine state, glass is exceptionally

strong, much stronger than most metals. Glass can

undergo reversible compression but not fracture under 3. RAW MATERIALS

pure compression. Its theoretical tension strength is Sand

Sand is critical to flat glass manufacturing since it is the

estimated to be 14 to 35 gigapascals (2 to 5 million
principal source of silicon dioxide (SiO2) which is essential
pounds per square inch); glass fibers produced under
for producing glass [2]. A high proportion of silica in the sand
very careful drawing conditions have approached 11.5
composition (above 95%) is therefore required together with
gigapascals. Most commercial glass products, on the
a high level of chemical purity.
other hand, have a strength that ranges between 14 and
Soda
175 megapascals (2,000 and 25,000 pounds per
The raw material mixture is referred to as a batch. 1. Raw material batching:

Technically, soda–lime glass is divided into two The main components, which include silica sand,
types: flat glass for windows and container glass for calcium oxide, soda, and magnesium, are weighed
containers.
and mixed into batches before being mixed with
...
recycled glass (cullet). The use of 'cullet' reduces
Compositions and properties that are common.
energy consumption. Under computerized control,
Container glass Flat glass
the materials are tested and stored for later mixing.
At 20 °C (68 °F), the refractive index nD is 1.518
Saint-Gobain Clear Glass' superior clarity is the
1.520.
result of purity in raw materials, precision in
Limestone

It is made from a basic mix, or batch, of three primary

composition, and strict adherence to high quality

raw materials, as the name implies. Silica (silicon standards in the manufacturing process. In Tada, the

dioxide, SiO2), the basic ingredient in almost all company has a dedicated sand beneficiation plant

glasses, accounts for 70% to 75% of the batch; soda where silica sand (to be used in manufacturing) is

(sodium oxide, Na2O) accounts for about 15%; and purified and excess iron content is removed.
lime (calcium oxide, CaO) accounts for 10%. 2. Raw material melting in the furnace:

The raw materials are batched and transported from

4.
a mixing silo to a five-chambered furnace, where
PROCESSING/PRODUCTION/MANUFACTUR
they become molten. The furnace can reach
ING
temperatures of up to 1600°C.
A float line is similar to a river of glass that exits
3. Drawing molten glass onto a tin bath:
the furnace before it cools. It travels nearly 300
The molten glass is then "floated" onto a bath of
meters before being cut into large sheets that
molten tin at around 1000°C. It forms a "ribbon" that
typically measure 3.21x2.25 meters. As a result, a
is usually between 5 and 6 mm wide. Ribbon
float line can produce glass continuously around
thicknesses ranging from 1.9mm to 19mm can be
the clock.
achieved by drawing the glass through a complex Glass can be melted down and transformed into a variety

process involving top roll machines. Because the of products ranging from drinking glasses to glass fiber.

glass, which is highly viscous, and the tin, which When glass is transported to a manufacturing or

recycling plant, it is broken down into smaller pieces

is very fluid, do not mix, and the contact surface
known as cullet.
between these two materials is perfectly flat, the

final product is referred to as "flat" glass.

The broken pieces are crushed, sorted, cleaned, and
4. Molten glass cooling in the annealing lehr:
ready for mixing with other raw materials such as soda
After leaving the molten tin bath, the glass has cooled
ash and sand. The raw materials and glass pieces are
sufficiently to enter an annealing chamber known as a
melted in a furnace before being shaped into moulds to
lehr, where it will be annealed. The glass is now hard
create new bottles of various colors and sizes. This
enough to pass over rollers and is annealed, which
method produces new recycled bottles and jars.
modifies the internal stresses, allowing it to be cut and

worked in a predictable manner and ensuring the

Kerbside recycling schemes, which have specially
glass's flatness. Because both surfaces are fire
demarcated boxes to collect glass that can be recycled,
finished, no grinding or polishing is required.
exist in countries such as the United States.
5. Quality assurance, automated cutting, and

storage:
6. CONCLUSION
After cooling, the glass is subjected to stringent
Glass. A ton of recycled glass saves 42 kWh of energy,
quality checks. It is then cut into sheets with sizes
0.12 barrels of oil (5 gallons), 714,000 BTUs, 7.5
ranging up to 6000mm x 3660mm, which are
pounds of air pollutants, and 2 cubic yards of landfill
automatically stacked, stored, and ready for transport.
space. Recycled glass now accounts for more than 30%

of the raw material used in glass manufacturing.

5. WASTE MANAGEMENT/DISPOSAL Glass is an inextricably linked material to human

Keeping track of glass waste
civilization. It is also the result of an industry that
consumes a lot of energy. When raw materials are
heated to more than 1500 °C in a furnace, they
consume roughly 75–85 percent of the total energy
required to produce glass. During this process, a
large amount of pollution is produced.
To conclude, glass can be energy efficient since
modern architecture makes extensive use of glass to
create magnificent, awe-inspiring structures that let
in an abundance of natural light. Ordinary glass can
transmit up to 80% of outdoor heat indoors. This can
be a disadvantage in commercial settings with
façades made of numerous glass panes because it
puts a lot of strain on cooling and heating devices. It
not only raises your energy bills significantly, but it
also makes your interiors uncomfortable, reducing
productivity. As a result, specially designed energy-
efficient glass is now available on the market,
specifically designed to achieve sustainable
operating costs for commercial infrastructure.
7. REFERENCES
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Environment. Glass Sustainability & the
Environment - Glass Alliance Europe.
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glass/#:~:text=Sand%20is%20critical%20to%20fl
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Glass manufacturing process: How is Glass made:
Saint-Gobain Glass India. Saint. (n.d.). Retrieved
February 5, 2022, from https://in.saint-gobain-
glass.com/glass-manufacturing-process
Glass & The Future. Glass & the future - Glass
Alliance Europe. (n.d.). Retrieved February 5,
2022, from
https://www.glassallianceeurope.eu/en/glass-the-
future
Limestone in glassmaking: What you need to know.
Carmeuse. (n.d.). Retrieved February 5, 2022,
from https://www.carmeuse.com/na-
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stories/limestone-glassmaking-what-you-need-
know
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Glass: The most eco-friendly glass material for
buildings. Best Glass Manufacturing Company in
India. Retrieved February 5, 2022, from
https://www.aisglass.com/glass-eco-friendly-
glass-material-buildings/
Post author By aiswebapp, & *, N. (2021, July 29).
High-performance glass for Energy Efficiency.
Best Glass Manufacturing Company in India.
Retrieved February 5, 2022, from
https://www.aisglass.com/high-performance-
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Recycled glass bottles can now be used to store

energy. Deccan Chronicle. (2017, April 23).

Retrieved February 5, 2022, from

https://www.deccanchronicle.com/science/scie

nce/230417/recycled-glass-bottles-can-now-

be-used-to-store-energy.html

Reynolds, S. (2021, July 22). Properties of Glass

Materials Guide. Swift Glass. Retrieved

February 5, 2022, from

https://www.swiftglass.com/blog/glass-

materials-properties

Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, December 10). Soda–

lime glass. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 5,
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3lime_glass