“Lowering the Heat Ingress in the Building is the Key”

By: Vikram Khanna, Asahi India Glass Ltd.

FAÇADE & FENESTRATION – DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

Cummins, Pune - Asahi India project — **Cummins, Pune – Asahi India project**

Climate change is a pertinent and serious problem faced by the world of construction today. India, being a tropical climate, where cooling is required for the majority of the time in the year, and strategy of the energy efficiency revolves around reducing heat ingress, it is important to understand how a thoughtful façade design can help in making the building the energy-efficient, Direct solar radiation contributes around 80% of the heat ingress through façade.

Unfortunately, we don’t give enough priority to the SHGC of the glass (lower the SHGC, lower the heat ingress in the building through direct solar radiation) and focus mainly on the lower emissivity property. Hence it is important to give proper thought and use technology carefully while designing the façade.

INNOVATIVE MATERIALS

Apart from glass and glazing, framing material also plays an important role in sustainability through façade design. While uPVC seems a promising framing material because of the low U factor. But it has a challenge of rigidity thus size limitation. Aluminium frame solves the purpose of size limitation but it is high on the U factor. These frames with thermal breaks can solve both purposes.

**AIS Ecosense Exceed Clear Pearl, New Jersey, USA -Asahi India**

Vikram Khanna, Asahi India Glass Ltd.

CIO & CMO

Vikram Khanna is a man of many facets, and in his time at AIS, he has made admirable use of his acumen to enhance and further embellish the company’s profile and standing in the market. He joined the Purchase department of AIS in the capacity of Material Head, in 1996 and held that position till 2003. He has worked in various roles and capabilities in AIS, including COO – Auto Services, COO – Consumer Glass, CIO, CMO and COO - Architectural Institutional Business. Over the past 24 years, Vikram Khanna has enhanced the value of every department he has been a part of, contributing to the overall growth of the company, and he is committed to carrying on in the same vein in the future.