Edition 57 (Jan-Mar, 2020)

Technical Article
Energy efficiency in glass production
Even Small Reductions In Energy Consumption Can Result In Considerable
Savings
Energy efficiency plays two parts in the story of tempered flat glass: the production portion
and the installed phase.
Glass production is an energyintensive
process by its nature,
so even small reductions there
can result in considerable savings in
energy and costs. And the energy costs
of heating and cooling city buildings
are astronomical.
First, let us consider efficiency
in the production of flat tempered
glass. How we look at energy
consumption is not only about
green values, the environment and
government subsidies. It’s also about
decreasing operating costs and time of
manufacture.
In a glass tempering line, the
furnace section accounts for the
largest share of the total line energy
consumption. The majority of energy
goes to heating the glass. And the
most direct energy savings can be
found in reducing heat losses during
that process.
Efficiency in action
Recent innovations in glass processing
have created a world of new
environmentally friendly options for
green experts. A modern tempering
line actually reduces heating losses
76 Glass Bulletin | January - March, 2020