R-ei (an ECS Project)

Abstract

This study determines the R-value of structural glass.  A sporting goods retail store in Portland's Pearl District serves as the test subject. Ambient and surface temperature dataloggers and a heatflux transducer (HFT) are employed to determine the difference in the internal and external temperatures (DeltaT) and the rate of heat loss in BTU's. Reversing the standard formula for heat loss will reveal the R-value for the wall system.  This is compared to traditional commercial building materials such as concrete, balloon frame, and plate glass windows.  The efficiency of structural glass is then reviewed in the context of retail applications.