--- title: How to Quickly Find the Right Glazing EPDs for Your Submittals (and Why It Sets You Apart) description: Discover how to easily find the right Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for your glazing submittals and stand out with comprehensive, transparent documentation from Viracon. image: https://blog.mandcomp.com/hubfs/ig_05972d53acc0ad1901698b6f8b9f6c819595371e80b8be37f6.png --- 2/10/26 2:27 PM # How to Quickly Find the Right Glazing EPDs for Your Submittals (and Why It Sets You Apart) [ Jeff Martineau ](https://blog.mandcomp.com/author/jeff-martineau) Architects are asking for more than shop drawings and performance data. Today’s glazing submittals often include **EPDs, HPDs, VOC data, and “good faith effort” language**—especially on public and higher‑education work like SUNY, CUNY, state university systems, and large healthcare owners. For glaziers, that can either be: - A painful scramble to track down documents from multiple sources, or - A chance to look buttoned‑up and easy to work with. When you’re using **Viracon**, you have a big advantage: **a full, searchable EPD library** that aligns with specific glass types, coatings, and configurations—something most **regional fabricators** can’t match. This guide walks you through: 1. **Where to find Viracon EPDs in seconds** 2. **Which EPDs typically go with which Viracon products** 3. **How to talk about the difference vs. smaller regional fabricators** --- ### 1. Where to Find Viracon EPDs ![Viracon Webpage Final](https://blog.mandcomp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Viracon%20Webpage%20Final.png?width=960&height=576&name=Viracon%20Webpage%20Final.png)All of Viracon’s Environmental Product Declarations live in one place: **Viracon Library – Technical → Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)** [https://viracon.com/viracon-library/#technical](https://viracon.com/viracon-library/#technical) Scroll to the **“Technical Library”** section and look for the **Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)** list. You’ll see a series of EPD titles such as: - Viracon EPD 562 – 9/16th Sightline - Viracon EPD 563 – 13/16th Sightline - Viracon EPD 566 – Low Iron - Viracon EPD 568 – Spandrel - Viracon EPD 571 – 23/32 VTS Airspace - Viracon EPD 574 – Laminated - Viracon EPD 576 – Basic …and others. Every document is a **Product-Specific Type III EPD**, third‑party reviewed to the standards architects care about (ISO 14025, ISO 14044, ISO 21930). That’s exactly what many specs now call out by name. --- ### 2. Matching Common Viracon Products to the Right EPDs You don’t need to be a sustainability consultant to choose the right EPD; you just need to know **which families** line up with which EPD IDs. Below is a simplified map you can use on most commercial work. ![ig_05972d53acc0ad1901698b6f65c5f0819585ae9e074a7dc5c5](https://blog.mandcomp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ig_05972d53acc0ad1901698b6f65c5f0819585ae9e074a7dc5c5.png?width=1536&height=1024&name=ig_05972d53acc0ad1901698b6f65c5f0819585ae9e074a7dc5c5.png) #### a. Low‑Iron & Mid‑Iron Viracon IGUs (VNE, VRE, VNG families) If your Viracon submittal includes: - **Low‑iron or mid‑iron clear IGUs** (e.g., VNE24‑63, VNE35‑63, similar VNE/VRE/VNG families), and - Standard insulating glass makeups (1" IGU with argon, low‑E on surface #2) Use: - **Viracon EPD 566 – Low Iron** Good for: Viracon low‑iron / mid‑iron IGUs across typical low‑E offerings. Often, reviewers will also accept: - **Viracon EPD 576 – Basic** Use as a general **baseline Viracon IGU EPD**, especially where they just want proof that Viracon glass has Type III coverage. #### b. Spandrel IGUs with Viraspan If your package includes **spandrel glass from Viracon**: - Example: Mid‑iron outboard lite + airspace + inboard lite with **Viraspan ceramic enamel**. Use: - **Viracon EPD 568 – Spandrel** Good for: Viracon **spandrel** IGUs with ceramic enamel on the inboard lite. #### c. VTS® Warm‑Edge Spacer If you are using or proposing: - **Viracon Thermal Spacer (VTS®)** as the warm-edge spacer, with argon-filled IGUs. Use: - **Viracon EPD 571 – 23/32 VTS Airspace** Good for: IGUs using VTS, to show the EPD for that **specific spacer/airspace configuration**. This is particularly useful on projects where the architect or owner: - Wants to see the **difference vs. a metal spacer**, or - Is tracking embodied carbon down to the spacer/airspace level. #### d. Laminated Glass from Viracon When Viracon is providing **laminated glass** (not third‑party fire ceramics): Use: - **Viracon EPD 574 – Laminated** Good for: Viracon laminated glass used in doors, guardrails, or interior partitions where lamination is part of the Viracon scope. #### e. Specialty Coatings or Processes If your spec or shop drawings include: - Silk-screened Viracon glass - DigitalDistinctions® printed glass - RoomSide® Low‑E You can pull: - **Viracon EPD 569 – Silk-Screened** - **Viracon EPD 570 – DigitalDistinctions** - **Viracon EPD 573 – RoomSide Low‑E** Most jobs won’t need all of these—but when you do, having them ready in one package makes your submittal look premium. --- ### 3. How to Package Viracon EPDs in a Submittal Here’s a simple way to present EPDs to an architect or university reviewer. **Step 1 – Create a small table in your submittal:** Example: | Glass Type (Shop/Spec) | Viracon Basis/Product | Relevant EPD(s) | | --- | --- | --- | | GL-1 / GLT-1 | Viracon VNE24-63 | EPD 566 Low Iron; EPD 576 Basic | | GL-2 / GLT-2 | Viracon VNE35-63 | EPD 566 Low Iron; EPD 576 Basic | | GL-2A Spandrel | VNE35-63 + Viraspan | EPD 568 Spandrel | | IGUs with VTS spacer | VTS® Warm-edge | EPD 571 23/32 VTS Airspace | | Laminated Viracon Units | Viracon Laminated | EPD 574 Laminated | **Step 2 – Attach the PDFs from Viracon:** Download directly from: [https://viracon.com/viracon-library/#technical](https://viracon.com/viracon-library/#technical) → **Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)** **Step 3 – Call out the Type III status once:** In your cover letter or email, include one simple line: > “All included Viracon EPDs are Product-Specific Type III (third-party reviewed), compliant with ISO 14025, ISO 14044, and ISO 21930.” That phrase alone answers a lot of spec language about EO22, LEED v4/v4.1, or campus sustainability standards. ![ig_05972d53acc0ad1901698b6f8b9f6c819595371e80b8be37f6](https://blog.mandcomp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ig_05972d53acc0ad1901698b6f8b9f6c819595371e80b8be37f6.png?width=1024&height=1536&name=ig_05972d53acc0ad1901698b6f8b9f6c819595371e80b8be37f6.png) --- ### 4. Why This Is Different From Regional Fabricators Most **regional glass fabricators** face real limits when it comes to EPDs: - They might have **no EPDs at all**, or only a **generic float glass EPD** from a base glass manufacturer. - If they do have something, it’s often **not product-specific**: - One generic declaration for “IGU” that doesn’t distinguish low‑iron, spandrel, laminated, or specialty coatings. - It’s rare for a smaller fabricator to have: - **Separate EPDs** for low‑iron, spandrel, laminated, VTS, RoomSide, and specialty processes. - A public, **searchable library** where architects and consultants can check documents themselves. ![ig_05972d53acc0ad1901698b6fb3a3c48195add9d8eaa8de7b04](https://blog.mandcomp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ig_05972d53acc0ad1901698b6fb3a3c48195add9d8eaa8de7b04.png?width=1536&height=1024&name=ig_05972d53acc0ad1901698b6fb3a3c48195add9d8eaa8de7b04.png)In practice, that means: - You spend more time **chasing documents** or explaining what isn’t available. - Specs that call for **Type III EPDs by product** often require “good faith effort” letters, not actual documents. - On public/university projects, the design team may **push back or downgrade** those alternates on the sustainability side. With Viracon, you can show: - **Depth and transparency**: multiple EPDs mapped to specific products. - **Consistency**: the same manufacturer that’s doing your performance work is also publishing **detailed environmental data**. - **Credibility in the room**: when an architect or consultant asks, “Do you have an EPD for that glass?”, the answer is a simple **“Yes, here it is”**—not an apology. That’s a clear difference when you’re competing against a regional fabricator who can only say “we don’t have that, but we’ll write a letter.” --- ### 5. How to Use This Advantage in Conversation When you’re in front of an architect, consultant, or owner, you don’t have to give a sustainability lecture. A few simple lines are enough: - “With Viracon, we can give you **product-specific Type III EPDs** for the actual glass families you’re specifying, not just a generic float EPD.” - “If you want to track environmental impact at the **spandrel or warm‑edge spacer level**, Viracon already has those EPDs published.” - “Compared to most regional fabricators, Viracon’s documentation makes your **LEED and EO22 paperwork much easier**.” ![ig_05972d53acc0ad1901698b6fdbde5c8195b86bb5b31186290a](https://blog.mandcomp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ig_05972d53acc0ad1901698b6fdbde5c8195b86bb5b31186290a.png?width=1536&height=1024&name=ig_05972d53acc0ad1901698b6fdbde5c8195b86bb5b31186290a.png)That’s usually all they need to hear to understand why your submittal is stronger. --- [Glazing Contractor](https://blog.mandcomp.com/tag/glazing-contractor), [Viracon](https://blog.mandcomp.com/tag/viracon), [Viracon Thermal Space (VTS)](https://blog.mandcomp.com/tag/viracon-thermal-space-vts), [Low Iron Glass](https://blog.mandcomp.com/tag/low-iron-glass), [High-performance Low-E coating](https://blog.mandcomp.com/tag/high-performance-low-e-coating), [Environmental Product Declaration](https://blog.mandcomp.com/tag/environmental-product-declaration) ## Related posts [![Single Source Fabrication](https://blog.mandcomp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ig_089b6223ca64fb4d016988be21e79c8195b3532c9fda0fb767.png?height=200&name=ig_089b6223ca64fb4d016988be21e79c8195b3532c9fda0fb767.png) ](https://blog.mandcomp.com/why-viracon-is-different-single-source-glass-fabrication-for-complex-northeast-projects) [Viracon](https://blog.mandcomp.com/tag/viracon), [Viracon Thermal Space (VTS)](https://blog.mandcomp.com/tag/viracon-thermal-space-vts), [Bird Friendly Glass](https://blog.mandcomp.com/tag/bird-friendly-glass), [High-performance Low-E coating](https://blog.mandcomp.com/tag/high-performance-low-e-coating), [Viracon Identification Number](https://blog.mandcomp.com/tag/viracon-identification-number), [Environmental Product Declaration](https://blog.mandcomp.com/tag/environmental-product-declaration), [Visible Light Transmittance (VLT)](https://blog.mandcomp.com/tag/visible-light-transmittance-vlt), [Security Glazing](https://blog.mandcomp.com/tag/security-glazing) ## [Why Viracon Is Different: Single‑Source Glass Fabrication for Your Northeast Projects](https://blog.mandcomp.com/why-viracon-is-different-single-source-glass-fabrication-for-complex-northeast-projects) [Jeff Martineau](https://blog.mandcomp.com/author/jeff-martineau) 2/8/26 11:52 AM Many architects, consultants, and owners across the Northeast are already familiar with Viracon’s... 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