Solar Control The last decade has seen significant improvements in the design and application of solar control glazings in vehicles. The major drivers are passenger comfort, minimising the degrading effects of the sun's radiation on interior trims and fabrics, and improving fuel consumption by lowering the load on the vehicle's air-conditioning unit.

Air conditioning has to control the solar load on the building as well as all the heat generated internally. By reducing the solar gain with solar control glass the air conditioning plant can be smaller and cheaper to run. The savings more than offset the additional cost of solar control glass.

Solar control glass is a hi-tech product developed by the glass industry to allow sunlight to pass through a window or façade while radiating and reflecting away a large degree of the sun’s heat. The indoor space stays bright and much cooler than would be the case if normal glass were used.

How does solar control glazing work? Glass manages solar heat radiation by three mechanisms: reflectance, transmittance and absorptance. When specifying solar control glazing, the most important parameter to consider is the total solar heat transmittance or g value.

Absorptance – the proportion of solar radiation absorbed by the glass. In hot conditions or for building with high internal loads, solar control glass is used to minimise solar heat gain. It allows sunlight to pass through a window or façade while radiating and reflecting away a large degree of the sun's heat.

Air conditioning has to control the solar load on the building as well as all the heat generated internally. By reducing the solar gain with solar control glass the air conditioning plant can be smaller and cheaper to run. The savings more than offset the additional cost of solar control glass.

The range manages comfort and costs all year round, with the solar control glass minimising solar heat gain; rejecting solar radiation and controlling glare in hot conditions. Equally, in more temperate conditions, Pilkington Suncool™ works to balance solar control with high levels of natural light.

Solar Control - Barriers to the Sun Intensive research over several decades has equipped the float process with ingenious ways of controlling solar energy for greater comfort and economy. Ingredients can readily be added to the melter to control the wavelength and percentage of radiation transmitted or absorbed by the finished product. Cobalt ...

Solar control Reducing heat from the sun. It is important to note that angled roof lights provide a benefit in energy efficiency since they gain more from the free heat provided by the sun than vertical windows. This is particularly important in the roof area.

Pilkington Eclipse Advantage™ is a range of high performance solar control on-line coated clear or body-tinted glass, with unique colours and low-emissivity properties. Specifically designed for use in countries with a warm climate, well-suited to both commercial facades and residential applications, the products offer unique colour options ...