In January 1997, the company completed development of the world’s first vacuum glazing, and in February began trial sales under the name SPACIA™. Adopting the same principle as vacuum flasks, SPACIA™ was able to achieve a 2x increase in thermal insulation and a 1.5x increase in sound insulation compared to existing double glazing by producing a 0.2mm vacuum layer within 6 mm-thick glass. October that year saw the beginning of full-scale distribution as well as the establishment of Nippon Sheet Glass Spacia Co., Ltd. in Ryugasaki (Ibaraki Prefecture), with the aim of improving production efficiency. SPACIA™ was highly acclaimed for its use of a revolutionary idea to realize high-level insulation. In 1997, it won an Award for Excellence at Nikkei Superior Products and Services Award (Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun Award), and in 1998, an Energy Conservation Award in the form of the Director-General of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy Award.