Rethinking Thermal Performance: How SkySheer Glazing Sets a New Standard Without the Weight of Aluminum

In envelope design, everything is a tradeoff until it isn’t.

Architects and engineers have long juggled the push for visual clarity with the pull of thermal performance. And glass? It’s always been in the middle of that struggle. But today, with SkySheer AESTECH’s frameless glass technology and the arrival of high-R-value vacuum insulating glass (VIG), we’re seeing a reshaping of what’s possible.

Let’s look at how the numbers really stack up.

First, the Baseline: Traditional IGUs + Curtain Walls

Start with a high-performance double-pane IGU, and you’re typically looking at R-values between R‑3.0 and R‑3.7, that’s assuming low-e coatings and argon fill, which is standard in commercial performance glazing.

But once that IGU goes into a conventional aluminum curtain wall system, the effective thermal performance drops... hard. Due to thermal bridging at the mullions (even with thermal breaks), the real R-value plummets to R‑1.2 to R‑2.0. Multiple independent studies confirm a 35% to 45% loss; the aluminum framing essentially undermines the very glass you just specified for performance.

So, you pay for R‑3.5. But you live with R‑1.5.

How SkySheer Changes the Equation

SkySheer was designed to cut out that weak link.

By eliminating the aluminum framing altogether, SkySheer allows glass façades to retain the full rated thermal value of the IGU. There’s no metal framework to conduct heat across the building envelope, and no hidden performance penalty buried in the details.

Let’s say your IGU is rated at R‑3.5. With SkySheer, you keep that.

In fact, when comparing identical glass configurations:

• A SkySheer façade system delivers 35% to 45% higher thermal performance than a conventional curtain wall using the same IGU.

• That’s not a theoretical best-case; it’s baked into the system’s structure.

It means you finally get what you specify, with no correction factors or framing losses.

Enter Vacuum Insulated Glass (VIG): Verified High R-values

And if you want to go further? Enter the new generation of VIG technologies.

Let’s be specific:

• LuxWall’s Enthermal™ VIG products deliver R-values between R‑18 and R‑21, according to their published specs and DOE-supported studies.

• Vitro’s VacuMax™ VIG states performance “up to R‑20,” even calling it "wall-like" thermal resistance.

• Guardian Glass reports R‑16 performance for its advanced VIG hybrids with double low-e coatings and vacuum gap.

These aren’t lab-only prototypes. They’re real, commercial-ready systems in use today.

So when paired with a SkySheer façade, one that doesn’t sabotage performance with conductive frames, the result is exactly what it sounds like

A full-glass wall with thermal resistance of R‑20 or higher.

That puts it on par with, or better than, most opaque wall assemblies without compromising daylight, views, or architectural expression.

Why This Matters for Envelope Designers

If you’re working toward Net-Zero, Passive House, or LEED Platinum, you know the pressure points: performance modelling, load reduction, and envelope airtightness.

SkySheer flips the logic. Rather than compensating for performance lost at the façade, it starts by preserving it. Pair it with advanced VIG, and suddenly you’re designing with a glass wall that meets opaque wall standards.

And it’s not just about the R-value:

• No aluminum to model in THERM.

• No unpredictable frame heat loss.

• No messy detailing around thermal breaks or gaskets.

It simplifies your system… while raising your performance.

The Future of Transparent Envelopes Is Here

Architects have long had to compromise: “Glass looks great, but…”

Now, there’s no but.

With SkySheer and VIG, you can design fully glazed façades that perform like super-insulated walls. Not in theory. In real projects, we use verified systems.

So if you’ve ever had to down-spec your glazing because “it just won’t meet the energy model,” you might want to run the numbers again this time, with a framing-free system and glass that earns its place in the envelope.

No framing. No compromise. Just a better building.

Contact www.SkySheer.com today to explore how a SkySheer System can elevate your next project with more glass, more performance, and affordable cost.