05/14/2026
If your air conditioning bill went through the roof last summer, the glass in your windows is probably the culprit. Standard insulated glass is like a bouncer for cold air in the winter, but when it's a scorching July afternoon in Chicago, regular clear glass is like a welcome mat for solar heat. That's where high-performance coated glass like Solarban 60 comes in, and it's one of the upgrades we recommend most often at Chicago Glass Company of Illinois. It's like a superhero cape for your windows, minus the awkwardness of actually wearing a cape. Solarban 60 is a low-emissivity, or low-e, coating made by Vitro Architectural Glass. It's microscopically thin and almost invisible to the eye, but it blocks a significant amount of infrared and ultraviolet light while still letting natural daylight come through. The numbers are pretty cool. Solarban 60 lets in roughly 70 percent of visible light while blocking around 64 percent of solar heat gain. That's a major comfort improvement for any south- or west-facing room in a Chicago home, especially the sun-soaked living rooms and primary bedrooms you see in bungalows, two-flats, and newer high-rise condos along the lake. The benefits are like a year-round party. In summer, less solar heat means your air conditioner runs less and your home stays cool without closing every blind. In winter, the same low-e coating reflects indoor heat back into your living space, so your furnace works less and you don't feel a cold draft when you sit near the window. The UV blocking also protects hardwood floors, rugs, and furniture from fading, which is a real issue in homes with big front windows facing the street. Solarban 60 works best in a sealed insulated glass unit, paired with argon gas fill and a quality spacer. We can retrofit your existing window frames with new high-performance insulated glass, or we can supply and install full new windows for a remodel or new build. We also use this kind of high-performance glazing on commercial storefronts and curtain wall projects across the Chicago area, where energy code compliance and tenant comfort both matter. If you're tired of hot rooms in July, cold drafts in January, or utility bills that keep climbing, upgrading your glass is one of the highest-impact improvements you can make for a Chicago home or business. We're happy to come out, look at your existing windows, and walk you through your options in plain English so you know exactly what you're paying for. Call us at (708) 800-7120 or visit
Commercial glass, storefront systems, high-rise glazing, and security film installation serving all of Chicagoland.
