International Glazing Database

Brief Summary of How to Prepare and Submit Data to the IGDB

(Please see Note to Data Submitters at the bottom of this page)

The following list provides a summary of the conditions that must be met when submitting new data:

  1. 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 multiple layers as in a laminate or applied film.
  2. 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.
  3. Additional information must be provided about the name, appearance, structure and thermal conductivity of the sample.
  4. The submitter is typically a glazing manufacturer who  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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

First Time Data Submitters

One of the provisions of NFRC 302: Verification Program for Optical Spectral Data specifies that all submitters of optical data "or their representatives" shall participate in a "round robin" or interlaboratory comparison (ILC). Often, manufacturers of glazing materials have the equipment necessary to perform their own measurements. NFRC 302 allows manufacturers to submit their own measured data subject to a set of checks to ensure the accuracy of such data. In some cases the glazing manufacturer does not have the required equipment and so may choose to send the samples to a test laboratory. In other cases the manufacturer of the final product such as a laminate may ask a component supplier, often a glass manufacturer, to perform the measurements for them. In such cases the "representative" must have qualified by participating in the ILC.

There are two exceptions that we make on occasion: a new data submitter does not have to wait for the next ILC if they (1) submit a set of samples along with their first dataset for comparison at LBNL, or (2) if they have participated in an ILC conducted by some other independent organization.

Samples and the measurements of those samples should go to:

Mike Rubin
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
#1 Cyclotron Road
Mailstop 70A-2255
Berkeley, CA, 94720

How Data is Verified for the IGDB

Data proceeds through a rigorous verification procedure:

bullet Browse IGDB Verification Procedure online.

More Detailed Information on Submitting Data to the IGDB:

bullet Data Submission Documentation and Examples
bullet List of reserved NFRC ID blocks
bullet Peer Review Committee

NOTE TO DATA SUBMITTERS:

bullet We are only accepting measured data at this time. Please email IGDB@lbl.gov with questions.
bullet For laminates or applied films with embedded coatings, we will accept measured data for products submitted as a whole product, but not for products that can be "deconstructed" by Optics to reuse individual components with other glass layers, films or interlayers.
bullet Filename length -- please do not submit files with names containing more than 30 characters (including the extension)

 

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 (IGDB@lbl.gov)
Revised: 12/14/07.