Solar control glass is a special type of glazing that reflects heat while maintaining natural light. Builders use solar control glass in many projects where high temperatures are likely, such as in a conservatory or other window systems that use a lot of glass.
How Does Solar Glass Work?
Solar control glass does not block natural light in the way that frosted glass and other obscure glass does. Solar glazing is made from layers of coating that use a range of solar control materials, which will reflect radiation while not affecting light transmission.
It can be difficult to understand the ins and outs of different types of glass. However, as leading suppliers and installers of a range of glazing, we are a good source of information on solar control glass. Please feel free to get in touch with us for a quote if you have a new solar control glass project in the south coast area of the UK.
What Are the Benefits of Solar Control Glass?
Solar control glass comes with the same essential benefits of double glazing, notably better energy efficiency and security. Solar control glazing will reduce condensation and humidity as normal double-glazed windows do, so if you are upgrading from single glazing you will see a significant impact.
The additional advantages of using solar control glass include the following:
- Reducing the need for air conditioning: In the summer months, solar control glass means you are less likely to require air conditioning – or at least will rely on it less. As a result, solar control glass is a form of energy-efficient glazing that can substantially reduce both heating and cooling bills.
- No need for tinted glass: As solar control glass makes use of special layers of coatings to reflect the solar radiation, there is no need for any form of tinting. Certain frames make it tricky to install window tinting easily, such as a skylight, so there are design benefits to choosing solar control glass too.
- Better acoustic performance: The sound deadening effects of solar control glass can often be enhanced by using additional acoustic control layers, for impressive effects on noise pollution. As they are sealed glass window units, all solar control glass will seamlessly blend in the extra noise reduction layers.
- Improved security: Security concerns from windows can be an issue on lower levels However, solar control glass is an effective way of making sure that security is never an issue. With extra layers of glass, there also comes a lot of strength, which makes breakage and forcing the window open a lot harder.
Solar control window glass is useful in conservatories, office buildings, pools houses and many other areas where there is likely to be a high level of heat. Hotter climates can benefit from solar glass, but if you have substantial sunshine then the use of tints may be better as natural light is less of a concern.
What Are the Drawbacks of Solar Glass?
Solar control glass is an integral part of the window, so retrofitting this type of glazing can be a daunting task financially. However, more cost-effective options such as a window tint can be more easily retrofitted, as it is a relatively low-cost solution – this can be useful for larger window installations.
Solar glass is also quite expensive. However, solar glass and similar variations that achieve the same results, such as low emission glass, are worth the price if you live in a particularly warm area or have issues with reflecting heat. Solar glass windows can also take some time to manufacture, so they may not be a quick solution.
How Does Solar Control Work?
The principles of solar control work by applying layers of coating on the glass. These coatings can absorb the radiation of the sun. The specific nature of the solar control coating varies between manufacturers, but it will often be a metallic coating or use other polymers. These layers stop heat from entering without blocking natural light.
Looking to Have Solar Control Glass Installed?
You can get solar glazing from most local providers in your region. Many providers offer solar control glass on new projects such as conservatories and other large glass installations. As they reduce the amount of heat in a space, solar glazing is an ideal glass solution for any space that will have a lot of sunlight.
We are suppliers and installers of a wide range of glazing for windows, doors and conservatories. Our team offers £5,000 worth of solar control roof glass on all new conservatories. Please feel free to get in touch with us if you have a project to complete in the south coast area of the UK.
