Chamber Doing Its Part to 

Reduce Energy Use

AUGUST 2008 - Of course, not all glass films are designed to keep people safe. Another class of products, solar-control film, dramatically curbs heating and cooling costs by rejecting solar heat gain in summer months and, to a lesser degree, conserving heat in the winter. Studies have shown that solar-control films can reject as much as 80 percent of the solar heat and block more than 99 percent of harmful ultraviolet rays.

“If the average solar-control film reduces solar heat gain by 65 percent, then facility managers need to generate only about half of the energy to cool the building,” says Darrell Smith, executive director of the International Window Film Association.

All solar films increase insulation, resulting in a 10 percent reduction in heat loss. Special low-e films can reduce heat loss in cold months by nearly 40 percent. The precise reduction in a building’s energy costs depends on a variety of factors. However, it is reasonable for glass-rich buildings in Arizona, California or Florida, to lower HVAC consumption by as much as 20 percent.

Many energy providers throughout the Sun Belt offer rebate programs as a further incentive to install solar-control films. Another idea is to ask the glass film manufacturer to conduct an energy analysis of the target building.

Solar films either reflect solar energy with a reflective coating or absorb it through sophisticated dyes. But regardless of a film’s structure, these materials help balance interior temperatures, increase comfort and reduce the number of maintenance calls. It is important to note that these films tend to be either reflective or tinted, so they may not be a viable option for historically recognized buildings. For most buildings, it is sufficient to install solar films only on the glass that is most affected by solar energy gain, namely the south- and west-facing sides. Limiting installation to only the windows that are most affected by the sun’s rays can help reduce up-front costs.

This article was submitted by Dana Ota, owner of Pacific Window Tint on behalf of Madico, Inc., a manufacturer of glass safety films and attachment systems.