International Glazing Database
-Optical
data for over 1000 glazing products
or
The International Glazing Database (IGDB) is a publicly
available collection of data for more than 1000 glazing products from manufacturers all over the world.
Each record contains detailed spectral optical data, thermal data, structural
details, description and product information. The data is sufficient to
design glazing systems and windows and perform accurate energy performance
calculations.
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The Windows and
Daylighting Group of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
(LBNL), with the
support of the U.S. Department of Energy*, performs technical review of product data
originating in the U.S. LBNL also updates and maintains the database file itself.
The WinDat Network, with support from the European
Commission, performs technical review of data originating in Europe.
The Japanese Glass Manufacturers association is considering performing technical
review on glass originating in Asia. The Australasian Window Council
performs technical review on glazing originating in Australia. The database
could not exist of course without the support of the glazing manufacturers
themselves who measure and format the spectral data and provide additional
product information. The manufacturers also play a critical role in peer review
of all data.
*This work
was supported by the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy, Office of Building
Technology, State and Community Programs, of the U.S.
Department of Energy, under Contract No. DE-AC03-76SF00098.
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The IGDB currently exists in two formats: a single database-format file
and an older collection of text files. . The recommended database format has many advantages for applications in
terms of speed, content,
and functionality, such as sorting and searching. It is currently used by Optics
5.1 and WINDOW 5.1. The older text-file format is still required by WINDOW 4.1 and other
programs. Support for text-file format will be discontinued on April 1, 2003.
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Any database needs an application to extract the information that it
contains. The following specialized glazing and window design applications can
each read, display, and use the information in the IGDB with varying degrees of
utility.
| Application using IGDB |
Function of Application |
IGDB format used |
|
Optics 5.1
|
glazing design and glazing-system analysis |
database |
| WINDOW 5.1
/ THERM 5.1 |
window design and
energy analysis |
database |
| WINDOW 4.1 |
window design and
energy analysis |
text-file |
| WIS 1.0
|
window design and
energy analysis |
text file
(database next version) |
| Frame™plus
5.1 |
window design and
energy analysis |
text file |
| Desktop
Radiance |
synthetic imaging system |
database |
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- If you have Optics 5.1 with IGDB version
12.3 or 12.4:
- If you have WINDOW 5.1:
- If you have WINDOW 4.1:
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- If you have WINDOW 4.1:
- Proceed with the numbered instructions in this section:
- If you have WINDOW 5.1 or Optics 5.1:
- The optical data is compressed in a self-extracting archive,
SpcDat125.exe. Expanded, the full library contains 1098 files and occupies
approximately 7.55 MB of hard-disk space. The Glass.dat file needed to run
WINDOW 4.1 is compressed in a self-extracting archive GlassDat.exe. If
you prefer a hardcopy of these instructions and product tables
you may download Manul125.pdf
now.
- Copy the file GlassDat.exe
to the directory C:\W4\W4Lib. Run GlassDat.exe to expand the GLASS.DAT file.
Warning: If you have previously customized the glass library in WINDOW 4.1
and you wish to save that information Glass.dat, rename the original
Glass.dat file to Glass.bak before expanding the new Glass.dat file
- Create a directory at the level of C:\W4\W4Lib\SpecDat named
C:\W4\W4Lib\Transfer. Copy file SpcDat125.EXE
to the Transfer directory. Run SpcDat125.exe to expand the files into a
set of subdirectories for each manufacturer.
- Copy only the needed data from the Transfer directory or subdirectories
into the SpecDat directory. Do not create a subdirectory structure under
SpecDat. The fewer files in SpecDat, the faster WINDOW 4.1 will load and
update.
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The following is a list is a brief and general summary of information that
must be provided and conditions that must be met by the data submitter. Without
reading the detailed documentation provided below, this list will help you
decide if it is worth proceeding:
- Samples must be flat and specular. They may have a thin-film coating such
as a low-emittance or solar-control coating. They may consist of multilple
layers as in a laminate or applied film. See more about specular or "simple"
glazing.
- Measurement of transmittance (if not zero) and reflectance must be made
over the solar spectrum from 300-2500 nm wavelength using a commercial
spectroradiometer equipped with a suitable integrating sphere. The
reflectance in the thermal infrared must also be measured from at least 5-25
micron. If the material is of a standard type such as window glass a
standard value may be used.
- Additional information must be provided about the name, appearance,
structure and thermal conductivity of the sample.
- The submitter is typically a glazing manufacturer who has demonstrated
proficiency in performing the required optical measurements. If the
manufacturer does not have this capability, then an outside test lab with
demonstrated proficiency may be employed. In the case of some unique
commercial glazing materials, composed of components from several
manufacturers, the responsibility for determining the properties may rest
with a laminate fabricator or even a glazing system contractor. In these
cases, one of the component suppliers is often willing to perform the
measurements.
- Properties of a composite material may be calculated if the properties of
all the component materials are in the IGDB. For this purpose an application
such as Optics 5.1 may be used or another application if the algorithm is
demonstrated to be sound.
- The submitter is responsible for putting the data into the proper format
for review and eventual inclusion in the IGDB.
If you think that you can provide data under the above conditions then you
should familiarize yourself with the details of the process. Requirements on format of data files along with
example file formats for each type of
glazing are provided:
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Data proceeds through a rigorous verification procedure:
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This work was supported by the
Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of
Building Technology, State and Community Programs of the U.S. Department of Energy, under Contract
No. DE-AC03-76SF00098.
Any questions regarding the database should be sent to:
Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory IGDB administration