Side-port regenerative furnaces have ports located on the furnace side walls. Batch is charged into the furnace from the back wall. The next figure shows the layout of a typical side-port furnace. Side-port regenerative furnaces are typically used for producing greater than 230 t of glass per day. A side-port furnace for float glass commonly produces 460 to 630 t of glass per day. For container glass, side-port furnaces ordinarily produce between 230 to 320 t of glass per day. These furnaces are commonly used in container and float glass production, but are also used for the production of tableware and sodium silicates. For container production, a furnace campaign typically lasts 8 years and for float glass production can last as long as 12 years.

Undershot and supplemental oxy/fuel oxygen enrichment have been successfully used on this type of furnace. Premix enrichment has also been used on furnaces with damaged checkers. These furnaces have also been converted to full oxy/fuel.