Solar control glass panel 4BIRD®

insulatingthermal insulatingsolar

Presentation
A glass architecture for effective bird protection!
4BIRD® is a comprehensive range of Saint-Gobain Glass solutions designed to meet the growing demand for bird-friendly glass and glazing. The 4BIRD® family offers different approaches to make glazed surfaces more visible to birds while retaining technical performance and natural daylight contribution.

Context and objective
According to the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), nearly one billion birds die each year from collisions with glass surfaces in the United States. In Germany, Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU) estimates about 100 million fatal collisions annually. 4BIRD® aims to reduce collision risk by providing solutions adapted to architectural constraints and the expected performance of glazing.

Range and proposed solutions
The first ranges available in the 4BIRD® family include:

• 4BIRD® Frit — patterned silk-screened options on face 1 or 2, combined with a high-performance thermal insulation coating, with or without solar control depending on the glazing composition. Coatings have been selected for low luminous reflectance (below 15%).
• 4BIRD® Etch — acid-etched patterns directly on the tempered coating on face 1, with EASYPRO® protection on face 2.
• 4BIRD® Lami — laminated glass range with the pattern positioned on face 2 (towards the inside of the insulating glazing unit). In its first configuration (4BL-1), 4BIRD® Lami pairs COOL-LITE® solar-control glass with the Saflex® FlySafeTM 3D PVB interlayer.

Technical principles of visibility for birds
Different methods are used to make glass more visible to birds: silk-screening, acid etching and the use of PVB interlayers specifically designed to reduce collision risk.

Performance and recognition
The 4BIRD® family groups several ranges and patterns complying with recognized spacing rules (50×50 mm and 50×100 mm) and recommendations for preventing bird collisions (international references, including some recommendations integrated into certification references such as LEED, Pilot Credit #55).
All 4BIRD® solutions have been evaluated by the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and recognized as "bird friendly". Risk-factor tests have been carried out to measure pattern effectiveness (percentage of collision avoidance by birds).

Sustainable ecosystem
4BIRD® is part of Saint-Gobain's "les engagés" range, which groups products selected for their environmental, health and user well-being performance. Each product must excel in at least one of Saint-Gobain's four sustainable construction pillars: energy and carbon, resources and circularity, health and well‑being of installers and users.

Characteristics / technical specifications

• Selectivity greater than 1.7 (contributes to energy savings for lighting and HVAC).
• Possible thermal insulation (e.g. Ug ≤ 1.1 depending on configurations).
• Solar control available depending on composition (reduction of heat gains).
• Low luminous reflection for certain coatings (< 15%).
• Compliance with recognized pattern placement rules: 50×50 mm and 50×100 mm.
• Solutions evaluated and recognized "bird friendly" by the American Bird Conservancy (ABC).
• Available methods: silk-screening, acid etching, specific PVB interlayer (e.g. Saflex® FlySafeTM 3D PVB).
• Laminated configurations available (e.g. 4BL-1 combining COOL-LITE® and Saflex® FlySafeTM).
• Products designed to preserve avian biodiversity while maintaining natural light input and thermal comfort.