Stained Glass Replace Thermopane?

A question that comes up quite frequently is "Does the stained glass replace my window?" so I thought I would discuss it here.  

Historically, stained glass was the existing window and I guess this is still in people's minds. Stained glass is either installed up against the existing thermopane (double pane) window, sandwiched between tempered glass and made into a window unit, or it is suspended in front of the window.  Depending on the window frame will determine how it is installed.  There are different clips to hold it in, wood trim can be used, using silicone, or suspending it in place are all different ways to install the panel.  

The big reason for not having the stained glass be the existing window any more is that it is not energy efficient.  Lots of heat loss in the winter and allows too much heat in the summer.  Another reason is safety. There have been building codes for several decades about stained glass and in some cases such as doors they have to be sandwiched between tempered glass.  The codes vary depending on where you live in the country but for the most part they are pretty standard.  

I hope this helps in understanding the basic idea of installing stained glass.  Feel free to ask any questions regarding this.

Isaac