Green Technology

Solar Energy Management Made Easy by Window Films

Sun Window Office

With the development of science and technology and its use in the manufacturing process, the modern window films are more effective in solar energy management. These films typically act as a filter that either reflects or absorbs almost the entire heat and glare from the sun rays that reaches and passes through your windows.

These useful and most effective films also eliminate all other damaging and harmful elements of the solar spectrum such as UV light and infrared heat. Quite naturally, these films have become an essential part in modern architectural designs that are more focused on aesthetics and conservation of the environment.

Does not affect visible light

Visible light is that which enables you to see objects when this is reflected on it and reaches your eyes. When you use these modern window films on the windows of your home or office building or your car as per the state regulation, it will not effect on the desirable visible light in a negative manner.

Since both infrared heat and UV rays are invisible to the human eyes, therefore blocking these will ensure only the desirable and non-harmful visible light to pass through the window. These energy control window films are specially engineered to capture and control the damaging UV rays and IR light and thereby filter only the visible light to enter the room at a desirable level.

Ways it reduces fading

When you use the window films, you will be able to prevent your furniture and furnishings from fading. You must know that the UV rays and infrared heat does not only harm your health but also causes fading of upholstery and furnishings. There are ideally six factors in solar energy that affect fabric fading. These are:

  • Ultraviolet light
  • Visible light
  • Heat and humidity
  • Chemical vapors (including ozone)
  • Age of fabric
  • Dye fastness.

If you have clear glass pane on your window of standard size measuring 1/8 inch to ¼ inch, it will reject only 23 to 28% of the ultraviolet light that comes from the sun.

If you have an insulated glass pane that has a slightly better capacity of heat and light rejection which is about 36 to 41%, you can prevent the furniture and upholstery from fading even more.

However, the best is to use the window films on the glass panes as it is known to reject about 95 to 99% of ultraviolet light of the sun.

As for the heat factor in the sunrays, depending on the type of clear glass in use you can reject about 13 to 29% of the solar heat. On the other hand, when you have the window films installed, you will be able to keep away around 80% of solar heat from your building making it a cooler and comfortable space to live in.

However, you must know that till date there is no window film designed that can eliminate fading of fabrics completely. It will only offer you protection from fading to varying degrees depending on the type of window film that you choose. Strictly stay away from those sites that promise complete prevention from fabric fading.

About the window tint market and its features

Considering the ability and usefulness of the window films, there is no prize in guessing why this is a popular and most favored alternative mean to conserve energy.

  • This is cost effective, easy and simple and therefore the market for window tint is huge. The prospects of it and the future of this market seems to be very bright as it continues to meet a wide variety of needs of the users and different buildings.
  • Moreover, the development and use of nanotechnology in its manufacturing and design have also seen its extensive and ever-rising demand in the automotive industry. Furthermore, the government rules and regulation of using window films in buildings and cars have also resulted in its wider and ever-changing market.
  • Different companies have already started making the best use of such high demands and are producing newer and better type of window film. Providing safety and security when glasses break, these effective window films come with different heat and light rejection values and even with blast resistance ratio.
  • Modern window films have different levels of strengths and are available in different shades. These films may look clear but have more power to block out heat as compared to any dark window tints that are currently available on the market.
  • The fast changing technology and its use in design and manufacturing of the window films have allowed the manufacturers to come up with a wide range of size, style, and function to ensure better and proper protection.

You simply have to consult a certified window tinting technician if you are unsure of what to choose according to your need. The experts will make sure that your purpose is solved and at the same time, your tinting complies with the set standards and window tinting laws of the states that is compulsory for automotive tinting especially and also for building in high-risk areas and earthquake-prone zones. The experts will also ensure that the application and installation are done expertly and exactly in accordance with the law and provide the best possible aesthetic appearance and visibility.

Features of it that protects

There are different ways in which the window films defend you. Ideally, and the most common concept is to reflect the entire or a portion of the solar radiation back into the atmosphere to battle the heat and keep it out of your building.

  • There have been several types of research conducted regarding window tinting, and all explain how effective a method it is to reject heat. The fact that these window films are made from self-adhesive polyester films make these activities a ‘sunscreen.’ Installed on the glass surfaces of your windows, these will regulate the transmission of heat, light as well as the solar radiation.
  • These films are incredibly thin and look like a transparent sheet but ideally are made from two to two hundred and seventy layers of fine layers of polyester and other alloy materials compressed and bound together by heat compression method.
  • The window films are not like your ordinary sunblock that contains SPF 50. Ideally, it provides sun protection factor of more than one thousand making it a useful and effective means to protect you from the harmful UV rays of the sun. It is smartly designed to detect and determine which visible light to absorb and which IV and infrared light to reflect.
  • The films ensure that you have enough visible light in the interior to see sans the harmful UV rays and infrared heat. These films are much like the contact lenses that are also made from such films to protect your eyes from UV radiation.

Keeping all these features in mind, it is high time that you consider tinting your windows if you have not done it already. These films when brought from reliable sources will provide a permanent tint solution to your windows. Available in different size, shapes, and tints, this will serve all your needs and will not interfere with the interior decor in whatsoever way.

Save big on energy cost

Modern commercial window films will help you to save big on energy costs. If you use in your office space and factories, it will not only protect the employees from health issues but will also increase the comfort level of them. With a better and safer working environment provided it will protect your bottom line and keep the customers, visitors and tenants happy as well. Most importantly, these films are a cheap and effective alternative to reduce the workload on your HVAC and air conditioning system and thereby prevent your monthly energy bills from skyrocketing.

The properties and design elements of commercial and residential window tints may be different, but the ulterior motive of it is to protect offices, apartment complexes, retail stores, and public facilities. All these can be achieved at a fraction of the cost of any window replacement. It will provide the same benefits if not more at a price that will fit in well within your budget.

Window tinting and cancer prevention

One surprising advantage of window tinting is it helps in cancer prevention. Over time and with each passing day, the sun is becoming a lot more dangerous. It was not so even a few decades ago. All these are the results of the attributes of the thinning layer of ozone that protects the planet and its living beings from the UV rays of the sun by reflecting it back into the atmosphere.

Due to the increased use of air conditioning systems, there is a hole created in this layer and at the same time makes human bodies less resilient to sunrays. Window tint provides permanent protection from 85% of melanomas and 90% of non-melanoma skin cancer.

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Paul Tomaszewski is a science & tech writer as well as a programmer and entrepreneur. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of CosmoBC. He has a degree in computer science from John Abbott College, a bachelor's degree in technology from the Memorial University of Newfoundland, and completed some business and economics classes at Concordia University in Montreal. While in college he was the vice-president of the Astronomy Club. In his spare time he is an amateur astronomer and enjoys reading or watching science-fiction. You can follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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