Solar Control
Solar control glazing is designed to limit this heat gain, helping to maintain a more comfortable indoor environment.
Solar control glazing is designed to limit this heat gain, helping to maintain a more comfortable indoor environment.
With larger areas of glazing comes an important consideration: managing overheating within buildings.
Glass allows solar radiation to pass through, a phenomenon known as solar gain, which can make internal spaces uncomfortably warm – this is known as the greenhouse effect.
This effect is particularly noticeable on south-facing elevations and roof glazing, such as conservatories and glazed extensions. Without effective solar control, rooms can become uncomfortably hot, increasing reliance on air conditioning systems and adding both cost and energy consumption.
Solar control glazing is designed to limit this heat gain, helping to maintain a more comfortable indoor environment.
The most basic form of solar control is tinted glass, standard float glass with a colour tint added during production. Common options include bronze, blue, grey, and green.
Available in 4mm and 6mm thicknesses (with other specifications subject to availability), tinted glass can also be supplied in laminated form.
Tinted glass works by absorbing solar heat, reducing the amount that passes through. However, once absorbed, some of this heat is re-radiated, which can still contribute to internal warming. Additionally, slight colour variation can occur between production runs, meaning exact matches may not always be possible across different orders or timeframes.
More advanced solutions use high-performance solar control coatings, applied to float glass using processes similar to low-e coatings.
These coatings are typically positioned on the inner surface of the outer pane within a sealed unit. They work by reflecting a significant proportion of solar radiation back towards its source, preventing heat from entering the building.
A wide range of coatings is available, offering varying levels of solar control to suit different applications and performance requirements.
Solar control glass is often described using a dual-value format, for example: 70/37
This indicates:
This allows specifiers to balance daylight with solar control performance.
Modern solar control coatings can combine both solar control and Low-E performance within a single pane of glass.
This means that in a double-glazed unit (DGU), a separate Low-E pane is often not required, simplifying the unit while still delivering excellent thermal insulation and solar control.
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