This New York hospital is a leading academic medical center operating in a demanding healthcare environment where energy efficiency and patient comfort is critical. The property owner faced challenges with aging infrastructure — particularly energy loss, high HVAC costs, and inconsistent indoor temperatures due to outdated, low-performing windows.
Upgrading the windows offers a clear path to improving efficiency and reducing costs. However, with the hospital’s 24/7 operations, minimizing disruption for patients and staff is a top priority. The owner’s high standards and rigorous evaluation criteria led them to investigate a high efficiency glass-only retrofit solution with LuxWall
Glass-only retrofit solution
Enthermal transparent insulation can be installed directly into a building’s existing non-thermally broken frames in less than one hour per window opening – from inside the building, without removing or rebuilding the original frame. Proven glazing components like glazing tape, dry gaskets, and silicone are used to ensure a weather-tight seal.
The result is a dramatic improvement in the windows’ thermal resistance, reducing heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer – key factors in lowering energy costs and improving tenant comfort. By retaining existing window frames, capital cost is reduced by up to 60%, tenant displacement is minimized, and costly full-scale facade renovations can be avoided.
Enthermal impact
To assess the real-world impact of LuxWall’s transparent insulation for windows, the hospital conducted a pilot installation, with three LuxWall product solutions: Enthermal, Enthermal Plus, and Enthermal Secondary Window System (SWS). The goal was to evaluate air infiltration impact, thermal performance, efficiency of installation, and overall occupant comfort compared to the existing windows.
The installation took place in a critical section of the hospital where maintaining consistent temperatures are essential. The glass-only retrofit installation enabled LuxWall’s Enthermal and Enthermal Plus to be installed into existing frames, reducing install time to 1-hour per window, and reducing the complexity, cost, and risk associated with full-window replacements. LuxWall’s SWS offers a fast-install solution that offers additional thermal and acoustic performance benefits.
Independent testing was conducted to validate performance metrics of LuxWall’s Enthermal, Enthermal Plus, and Enthermal Inserts. The results showed a dramatic improvement on all measures when compared with the existing double-pane glass performance. Enthermal in all configurations exceeded expectations, demonstrating more than 7x the total window thermal resistance (R-Value), a 60% reduction in air infiltration, and measurable improvements in indoor comfort for occupants. This successful pilot reinforced the potential of LuxWall’s technology as a transformative solution for large-scale implementation across the hospital’s facilities
