Low-E Glass Market Overview
Global Low-E Glass market to grow at a CAGR of 3.3% during the forecast period 2024- 2031. The market is expected to grow due to increasing demand from Building and Construction. The competitive rivalry intensifies with Guardian Industries, Schott AG., Sisecam Group, and others operating in the market.
Low-E glass, also known as low-emissivity glass, is specially designed to minimize the amount of infrared and ultraviolet light entering through the glass of a building without minimizing the amount of light required to enter our home. The Low-E glass windows have a microscopically thin coating that is transparent and reflects heat to reflect the excessive heat. By reflecting interior heat, the low-E coating helps to make the home temperature consistent.
There are two types of low-E coatings available in the market: passive low-E coating (hard-coat) and solar control low-E coating (soft-coat). Out of these two, soft coat low-E are more efficient as they offer superior solar control performance and have a huge market in flexible packaging of different materials. Low-E glass is in great demand for building construction purposes, including residential, commercial, or institutional spaces.
Market Scope
| Metrics | Details |
| Market CAGR | 3.3% |
| Segments Covered | By Type, By Coating Type, By Technology, By End-User and By Region |
| Report Insights Covered | Competitive Landscape Analysis, Company Profile Analysis, Market Size, Share, Growth, Demand, Recent Developments, Mergers and acquisitions, New Product Launches, Growth Strategies, Revenue Analysis, and Other vital insights. |
| Fastest Growing Region | Asia Pacific |
| Largest Market Share | North America |
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Industry Dynamics
Growing construction activities and increasing awareness drive the global Low-E Glass market among the population towards energy saving in residential and non-residential construction buildings. Increasing use of Low-E glass for lightweight glazing in automotive to make the vehicle more lightweight, which improves fuel efficiency, is the potential factor contributing to the Low-E glass market's growth in recent times.
Growing construction activities and increasing awareness among the population towards energy saving
The Low-E glass market is extensively prevailing in residential and commercial buildings. Low-E glass is a distinct and cost-effective solution to save energy in buildings for different climatic conditions and reduce excessive heat gain loss by reflecting long-wave infrared energy coming to the buildings. Windows is considered the least efficient component in a building, but with advancements in technology, energy-efficient windows have become the most popular concept in recent times.
Conscious efforts are being taken to save energy in the residential and commercial sectors, driving the global market of Low-E glass. As per an article published in Science direct 2016, solely in India, more than one-third of buildings are responsible for power consumption; thus, these rising numbers are more likely to drive the Low-E glass market in the forecast period.
For instance, in 2016, Guardian glass in Europe has launched a new product ClimaGuard Blue, energy-efficient and self-cleaning glass. The product combines solar control, thermal insulation, and glare reduction in a single, dual-coated pane of glass. The product is specifically designed for the home application for windows, skylights, or conservatories and doors.
Increasing use of Low-E glass for lightweight glazing in automotive to make the vehicle more lightweight, which serves to improve fuel efficiency
Growing technological advancements in the automotive industry have helped to attain maximum fuel efficiency and passenger safety. This turned out to influence the manufacturers to engage in R&D, which is projected to boost the automotive glass industry's growth. The window panes used in automotive are manufactured using Low-E glass and coatings.
The low-E glass market is expected to increase in the forecast period with the growing demand for automotive in recent times. Low-E glass is used to provide more efficient air conditioning, enables the extension of mileage range for electric vehicles, and reduce CO2 emissions of the vehicles, impacting eco-credits and improving overall fuel consumption. As per the international organization of motor vehicles' global production of automobiles, the year 2019 was around 91,786,861 units compared to 2018. Thus, these growing production units of automobiles are expected to propel the forecast period's Low-E glass market
The high cost of Low-E glass coupled with overheating and reduced visual clarity are hampering the market's growth.
The prime challenge faced by Low-E glass manufacturers is its cost, the more expensive behaviour of Low-E glass as compared to regular glasses is restraining the global market of the product. The windows used to block U.V. rays, and infrared light is specially designed with advanced technology and high-grade raw materials, which are generally more costly than traditional windows used in construction buildings. Thus this demands a high initial investment to deal with, affecting the market growth of Low-E glass in recent times.
For facades, which directly connect with sunlight, the Low-E glass will trap the heat radiating from the objects inside, leading to overheating of interiors. Sometimes, due to unfavourable climatic conditions, the Low-E glass imparts a hazy view compared to normal glass, affecting vision clarity through the glass window. The above mentioned are the possible challenges expected to affect the Low-E glass market's growth in the coming tenures.
COVID-19 Impact on Market
The global Low-E glass has shown a severe decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as several manufacturing plants were shut for months. Further several countries have restricted production activities during the covid-19 pandemic. The major lockdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak leads to suddenly dropping down consumers' interest towards purchasing any goods, and halt in transportation sectors has severely hampered the Low-E glass market business due to disruption in the product's supply chain management.
COVID-19 has severely impacted the automotive sector's growth due to disruption of Chinese part exports, large-scale interruption in manufacturing across Europe, and assembly plant closure in the United States. 78% of the companies do not have enough staff to run the production in full force, and more than 80% of the world's auto supply chain is connected to China.
For instance, Hyundai suspended vehicle production for several weeks in 2020 due to the interruption of the supply chain of automotive parts from China. The situation is further expected to maintain the market momentum in the coming months due to the growing concerns of coronavirus globally, thus severely hampering the Low-E glass market's growth.
Market Segmentation Analysis
The global Low-E glass market is segmented based on type, coating type, technology, end-user, and region.
Enhanced thermal performance in a cost-effective manner, superior insulation, and excellent U.V. protection drive the double glass segment market.
In terms of type, the Low-E glass market is segmented into three segments- single glazing, double glazing, and triple glazing. The single glazing is applied towards the building's interior to protect it from premature wear and hazing. In contrast, double glass is applied to the glass sides that face each other in the air space and help protect from any exposure at all. Out of the mentioned types, double glass is expected to dominate the forecast market at the highest rate. It can cost-effectively provide enhanced thermal performance.
Apart from this, superior insulation, reduced outside noise, excellent U.V. protection, and enhanced security are the other key factors driving the double glass market in recent times. However, due to excellent low emissivity and stringent energy conservation policies, the factors are expected to boost the coming tenures' triple glass market.
For instance, in January 2020, Ecoline Windows offers a new Guardian ClimaGuard 80/71 low-E window specially designed for cold climatic conditions. The glass is present in double and triple glazing coating patterns and is used to maintain indoor heat and maximize solar heat gain.
Market Geographical Share
Rapidly growing automotive industry in the Asia-Pacific region and presence of countries contributing to the growth of automotive industries and electric vehicles in the region
Asia-Pacific region dominates the global Low-E Glass market due to strong automotive industries such as China, Japan, India, South Korea, and others. China, for instance, a rising middle class, will continue driving the steady growth of the Chinese auto market, with the market for new purchases and rapidly growing replacements of vehicles are adding to the overall market of the region's automotive industry.
A growing number of the automotive industry is expected to build the forecast period's Low-E glass market. Furthermore, the rising adoption and development of electric vehicles in the region further add lucrative opportunities for the Low-E glass market in recent times. Countries like East Asia expect high growth in automotive industries and the construction sector in the forecast period due to growing urbanization and increased renovation activities across different end-users are boosting the market of Low-E glass in the region.
Market Companies and Competitive Landscape
The Low-E glass market is highly fragmented with the presence of local as well as global companies. Some of the key players contributing to the market's growth include Schott AG, Guardian Industries, Sisecam Group, Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd, Saint-Gobain S.A., Vitro Architectural Glass, Cardinal Glass Industries, Inc., NSG (Pilkington), Fuso Glass, United Plate Glass Company and among others.
The major players adopt several growth strategies such as product launches, acquisitions, and collaborations, contributing to the Low-E glass market's growth globally. However, key players focusing on Low-E glass target product launch as their growth strategy to build its market share.
- For instance, in 2017, AGC launched a new range of products under the brand name Thermobe Scena. The product has unique window glazing, and the glass is suitable for designing the glazed facades, which can deliver optimum transparent view.
Guardian Industries
Overview: The company is a privately-held manufacturer of glass, automotive, and building products, based in Michigan, founded in 1932. The company's key products are fabricated glass, float glass, fibreglass insulation, and building materials targeting residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. Currently, the company holds nearly 18,00o employees and is presently active in Asia, Africa, North and South America, and the Middle East.
Product Portfolio: The company has a product portfolio of colour concentrate includes:
- ClimaGuard: The growing member of the Guardian advanced glass family specially designed to target the audience sitting at home. The product can be used for windows, doors, skylights, or conservatories. It is tailored to suit specific climates and exceed performance expectations by making living space more comfortable, secure, and energy-efficient.
Key Development:
- In 2016, Guardian glass in Europe had launched a new product ClimaGuard Blue, energy-efficient and self-cleaning glass. The product combines solar control, thermal insulation, and glare reduction in a single, double-coated pane of glass. The product is specifically designed for the home application for windows, skylight or conservatories, and doors.
