Questions have recently surfaced within this forum concerning the present industry status of Heat Mirror SCF (Suspended Coated Film) insulating glass. In summary, more than 400 million square feet of Heat Mirror IG has been supplied worldwide to window companies and commercial glaziers since Southwall Technologies' founding during the late 1970s. Certain manufacturing and glazing problems encountered during Heat Mirror's early years were solved as evidenced by the return of such window companies as Hurd to offering Heat Mirror configurations extending to insulating R-values as high as 20. Marvin Windows also recently announced Heat Mirror IG as a component of its high-end "Passive House" line. One notable U.S. window and architectural glass manufacturer of strong Heat Mirror association is Alpen, headquartered in Colorado and recognized as a Top 10 Green Building Product in 2007 by Building Green-Environmental Building News based on its fiberglass line. Alpen has used Heat Mirror exclusively since its founding in 1982. Notable Heat Mirror projects include all 6,514 windows of the Empire State Building and the National Portrait Gallery. The largest and most automated Heat Mirror production line in North America is within Southwall Insulating Glass in Chicago. (Author Robert Clarke is a founder and initial board member of Southwall Technologies, and founder of Alpen. He holds Princeton Engineering and Stanford Business degrees and has worked at the forefront of very high-performance insulating glass and window technology for 37 years. Robert now works with Southwall Insulating Glass.)
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