Environmental Leader

Hilton Hotel in Vienna recently installed 1,000 m-squared of Luxasolar Clear View’s window film, projecting an annual savings of 230,000 kWh and an annual reduction of 72,000 in CO2 emissions.

After the installation the hotel reported temperature drops of 9.6 degrees.

This is part of Hilton’s overall corporate sustainability goals, which includes the use of recycled materials, energy-efficiency efforts, reduction in CO2 emissions, and water conservation.

A larger Luxasolar project includes the installation of 6,000 m-squared of window foil at the French headquarters of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in Marly-le-Roi. In winter, the average temperature rose by 3.5 degrees C (4.4 degrees at night and 2.6 degrees during the day) after the installation. The company says it has saved about 45,000 euros in gas and electricity annually as well as contributed to its environmentally friendly “Climate Change” program.

Luxasolar Clear View has already outfitted about 500 buildings in Europe, according to the company. In summer, buildings equipped with Luxasolar are said to record temperature drops of up to 10 degrees C, reflecting the sun’s heat outwards. In winter, the heat generated is reflected back into the room, which provides average energy savings of up to 25 percent, depending on the type of glass, according to the company.

The company says the product can be installed on any type of glass, even on angled glazing. Luxasolar says the average return on investment is two to three years.