High-performance glass can help cut building emissions as cooling demand rises

As Spain faces rising temperatures, more frequent heatwaves and growing cooling demand, Sisecam's latest research highlights the role of high-performance glazing in improving energy efficiency, reducing emissions and enhancing building resilience

ISTANBUL, Nov. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sisecam, the only global player operating in all core areas of glass, participated in the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), held in Antalya from 9–20 November, as a Climate Supporter. At COP31, the company highlighted the role of advanced glass technologies in improving energy efficiency, supporting decarbonization and helping cities adapt to the impacts of climate change.

As rising temperatures and more frequent heatwaves place increasing pressure on buildings and energy systems across Southern Europe, improving the energy performance and climate resilience of existing buildings has become a critical priority. While decarbonizing energy generation remains critical, reducing energy demand in the buildings where people live, and work is equally important. High-performance building materials can play a significant role in lowering energy consumption, improving indoor comfort and supporting climate objectives.

A study developed by Sisecam and METU-GÜNAM (Middle East Technical University Center for Solar Energy Research and Applications) examined the impact of different glazing configurations on energy consumption and emissions in residential buildings under varying climate conditions. Using advanced simulations and long-term projections through 2050, the research evaluated how glass technologies can help improve building performance and support climate goals.

High-performance glass can deliver significant emissions reductions

According to the study, the large-scale use of solar-control triple glazing with low-emissivity (Low-E) coatings across Istanbul's residential building stock could avoid an estimated 13.1 million tons of operational CO₂ emissions cumulatively by 2050 under the SSP5-8.5 scenario, equivalent to approximately 4.4% of cumulative operational emissions from the buildings analyzed.

The research highlights that glazing performance can play an increasingly important role in reducing energy demand while improving indoor comfort. By limiting unwanted solar heat gains during warmer periods and enhancing thermal insulation throughout the year, advanced glazing systems can help reduce both cooling and heating requirements.

Rising cooling demand makes building performance more critical

One of the key findings of the study is that building energy needs are evolving as climate conditions change. While heating demand is expected to decline over time, cooling requirements are projected to increase significantly, making building-envelope performance more critical than ever.

The research demonstrates that high-performance glass can help manage this changing balance by reducing solar heat gains and limiting overheating during hotter periods and maintaining strong thermal insulation year-round. This contributes not only to lower energy consumption and emissions but also to greater occupant comfort and building resilience.

Targeted renovation can maximize impact

The study also highlights the value of targeted renovation strategies. Rather than applying interventions uniformly across the building stock, prioritizing buildings with the least efficient glazing and the highest saving potential can significantly improve investment effectiveness.

For the best-performing zones analyzed, the abatement cost falls to approximately EUR 11 per ton of CO₂ avoided, while less than 5% of the total investment delivers around 11% of the achievable emissions savings.

These findings underline the importance of data-driven renovation programs and climate-specific glazing requirements in maximizing both environmental impact and economic efficiency.

Supporting Spain’s climate adaptation and energy-efficiency goals

Southern European countries, including Spain, are among the regions most exposed to rising temperatures and increasingly frequent heatwaves. As policymakers, investors and property owners seek to improve the resilience and energy performance of buildings, the findings provide valuable insights into the role advanced glass technologies can play in supporting these efforts.

The study suggests that renovation programs can achieve greater environmental and economic benefits when interventions are tailored to local climate conditions and building characteristics. High-performance glazing can help reduce solar heat gains, lower cooling demand, improve indoor comfort and support long-term decarbonization goals, particularly in buildings with ageing and inefficient windows.

Commenting on the findings, Can Yücel, CEO of Sisecam, said:

"As the impacts of climate change become increasingly visible, improving the resilience and energy performance of buildings is becoming more important than ever. Cities need solutions that can address both decarbonization and adaptation challenges. At Sisecam, we see high-performance glass as a technology that can help reduce energy demand, improve indoor comfort and support more climate-resilient urban environments. Through our collaboration with METU-GÜNAM, we aim to provide data-driven insights that can support more effective renovation strategies and accelerate the transition to a lower-carbon future."

Methodological note

The research uses EnergyPlus- an open-source building energy and water simulation engine developed by the U.S. Department of Energy- to simulate the effects of different glazing configurations. The city-scale analysis begins with a model calibrated using 2,455 residential buildings in Kadıköy (a district in İstanbul) and scales the findings to the building stock of Istanbul's 39 other districts, assuming comparable performance for buildings within the same categories. The simulations isolate the effects of changing the glazing while keeping all other parameters constant. The emissions considered are operational emissions associated with building energy consumption and do not cover the products' full life cycle. The study uses a 2025 baseline and considers two future scenarios to 2050: SSP5-8.5 and SSP2-4.5, incorporating different assumptions for climate change, electricity grid decarbonization, energy prices and discount rates.

About Sisecam

Sisecam is a story of progress...

Founded in 1935 by İş Bankası with the vision, Sisecam was established to build Türkiye’s glass industry. Over the decades, Sisecam has grown from a local initiative into a global player in glass and chemicals. As the only global company operating in all core areas of glass production, Sisecam is one of the world’s top five producers in its sectors. Sisecam operates across four continents and 13 countries, including Türkiye, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Egypt, India, and the United States. Şişecam plays a pioneering role in flat glass, glassware, glass packaging, chemicals, auto glass, glass fiber, mining, energy, and recycling industries. By placing innovation and technology at the core of its operations, Sisecam delivers its products to customers in over 150 countries through its robust supply chain.

Şişecam makes a meaningful difference in its industries with 90 years of expertise, a skilled workforce, and the use of smart technologies. Supported by almost 23,000 employees, Şişecam is steadily advancing toward its goal of becoming one of the top three global producers in its core industries. With its CareForNext strategy, Şişecam works to ensure the sustainability of the glass and chemicals industries from the perspectives of protecting the planet, empowering communities, and transforming lives in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Sisecam is pursuing a better future through technology and innovation and continues its story of progress together with its entire ecosystem.

Learn more: www.sisecam.com

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Ayşegül Akyarlı

AAKYARLI@sisecam.com