Energy-saving glass blocks from Italian manufacturer Seves are now available from Adelaide Glass Blocks. The blocks make use of Seves’s latest energy-saving technology, which reduces the thermal transmittance of the classic glass block by up to 50%.
The classic glass block is made up of two half shells containing air without humidity. These traditional blocks have a U value of 2.8 W/m2 K; when used in a complete panel with aluminium framing and silicone, they achieve a WERS rating of 3.0 W/m2 K. The new energy-saving block has been developed with a sheet of floating glass inserted between the two halves, creating two chambers that are filled with argon gas. The energy-saving block has a U value of 1.5 W/m2 K, a considerable reduction in thermal transmission. In addition, Seves uses a low-impact production process where excess material from one production cycle is reused in the next. The glass block is also entirely recyclable at the end of its life cycle.