Engineered Glass Products Earns UL® Approval for Thermique™ Heated Architectural Windows

Engineered Glass Products (EGP) has announced that it has earned UL approval for its new line of heated windows with Thermique™ technology for residential and commercial buildings. Architectural windows are among the first commercialized products designed with Thermique™ heated glass, which EGP says was pioneered exclusively by its engineers. As the first company to achieve UL approval for heating windows, EGP is the only company approved to provide heated glass technology for architectural use in the United States.

According to the company, Thermique™ windows radiate warmth and comfort into a room, no matter how low the temperature drops outside the building. Outdoors it may be well below freezing, but the interior surface of the glass will remain above room temperature-up to 105° F, depending on user settings. This is accomplished with a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) coating and copper buss bars that are applied to the glass during fabrication. The TCO coating can be electrically heated with precise temperature control through the use of a Thermique™ Hot Glass controller designed by EGP specifically for the safe heating of Thermique Hot Glass. The glass is always uniformly heated across the entire pane. It is never too hot to touch so it is never a hazard, even with small children. The controller is even able to sense a fault or a crack in the glass, at which point it safely cuts off power.

Earning UL approval is critical for new electronic devices. Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., issues UL approval based on its own independent tests and standards. Underwriters Laboratories has developed more than 800 "Standards for Safety," which are essential to ensure public safety and instill confidence in new electronic products.

"With UL approval, architects, builders, and owners can be confident that Thermique™ heated windows are a safe, responsible choice," says Pete Gerhardinger, vice president of technology at EGP. "Every new technology has to prove itself in independent testing, and we're proud to have accomplished this important process so quickly. The UL Listing is a testament to EGP's thorough development and testing process, which ensures a safe and robust product for our customers."

While ordinary windows are typically the number one source of heat loss in a building, Thermique™ windows contribute to the warmth and comfort of a room. By electrically heating the glass, Thermique™ technology eliminates the cold air pockets and drafts created by traditional windows. Without these cold air problems, the building's conventional HVAC equipment no longer has to work as hard to maintain a stable indoor temperature. In fact, the thermostat can typically be lowered with a noticeable improvement in comfort levels since the windows are no longer cold nor drafty. This saves energy and reduces wear-and-tear on traditional heating equipment. Plus, frost and fog never form on a heated window; this makes Thermique™ windows a great application for wet areas.

Engineered Glass Products previously earned UL approval for its Thermique™ heated glass towel warmers for custom homes and luxury hotels. The wall-mounted towel warmer uses technology similar to the heated architectural windows.
Towels and other linens are simply draped across a stylish pane of heated glass for luxurious comfort.