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fire-rated windows and efficiency

GBA Editor | Posted in Green Products and Materials on

Hi,
We’d like two new (piano) windows in a house very close to the neighbour’s, and the city says they need to be fire-rated (3/4 hour). We’ve been told by a window supplier that a fire-rated window cannot be energy-efficient. Is this true? If so, what are our options if we want natural light without creating a massive heat sink?
Would a certain kind of glass block be a viable alternative (we don’t need the view of the neighbour’s wall), and what would be the comparative rough cost (of either an efficient fire-rated window or glass block)?
Thanks.
B.M, Toronto

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