Heat Reflective Glass: solar control glazing for your home

Heat-reflective glass is also known as solar control glazing.  It’s an innovative solution for the discerning homeowner who is seeking to create a comfortable living space, not to mention improve a level of energy efficiency that we all crave today

With its special coating,  this type of glass will help you control the amount of solar heat that enters through your windows and doors, making it an ideal choice for your home.

Many people in the UK today are embracing open-plan designs in their home and the popularity of floor-to-ceiling windows is crying out for solar control glazing.  

Why wouldn’t you want to harness every drop of sunlight you can, if it provides you with a more sustainable and Eco-friendly living experience?

The versatility of heat-reflective glass will also acknowledge your decision to make the best choices when it comes to aesthetics in your home.

What is the technology behind heat-reflective glass?

By reflecting and absorbing heat from the sun, solar control glass allows a significant amount of natural light to pass through, yet cleverly prevents heat build-up within the home.

If you choose to implement this technology, you’ll not only be contributing to a brighter and more pleasant interior environment but also reducing the reliance on air conditioning systems during hot weather.  Ultimately, this means cutting energy costs.  Something you really shouldn’t ignore.

It’s all about the layers…

Layers of special, solar-control chemicals (most commonly low-emissivity coatings) added to the surface of glass, allow sunlight to pass through your windows and doors whilst simultaneously repelling solar heat, thereby nurturing a comfortable and more useable indoor temperature for you and your family.

This coating is most commonly added to the internal face of the external glass panel of any insulated double or triple glazed unit.  The chemical coating can afford you different levels of light transmission, external tints and solar control. 

The average coating can maintain around 70% of the light transmission which means your windows look naturally clear yet reduce the G-value (solar transmission) of the glass to around 35%.  Impressive?

Are there different types of heat-reflective glass?

Heat-reflective glass comes in various types, offering different levels of solar control and energy efficiency. Some popular types of solar control glass include:

• Tinted glass: which absorbs solar radiation and reduces glare
• Reflective glass: which reflects solar radiation away from the building
• Low-E glass: which has a thin, transparent coating that reflects heat waves while allowing visible light to pass through

Each of these glass types meet the specific needs of a project, be it energy efficiency or aesthetics.

When selecting the right heat-reflective glass for your home, it’s essential to consider factors such as climate, building orientation, and energy performance requirements.

Energy efficiency advantages

One of the primary benefits of heat-reflective glass (or solar control glazing) is its ability to significantly improve energy efficiency in your home glass design.

Reflective glass is designed to mirror and absorb the sun’s rays, reducing the amount of heat that enters your home.

As a result, solar control glass can help maintain a comfortable indoor temperature throughout the year, especially during warmer months. This translates into reduced demand for air conditioning, which ultimately leads to lower energy consumption and cost savings on utility bills.

This feature also reduces the need for artificial lighting during daylight hours reducing your energy bills even further.  Just another great reason to consider this glass as an option for your home. 

Let’s summarise the advantages offered to you, should you make heat reflective glass a welcome addition to your home…

• Reflects and absorbs solar heat, reducing heat gain.
• Maintains comfortable indoor temperatures all year round.
• Lowers demand for air conditioning.
• Decreases energy consumption and utility bills.
• Allows natural light in while providing insulation.
• Reduces dependence on artificial lighting.

By regulating indoor temperature, solar control glazing can also lead to energy savings in the long run. When less heat is lost during cold months and less external heat is gained during warm months, there is a reduced reliance on heating and cooling systems, thus lowering energy consumption and costs.

Will solar control glass offer protection from UV Rays?

Indeed. Solar control glass offers protection from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, which are known to cause worrying skin damage and fade your much-loved household furnishings.

Ordinary glass does not have this unique feature and allows a significant amount of UV radiation to pass through, contributing to health risks and damage inside your home.

By incorporating solar control glass in your home, you’ll be protecting both yourself and your family along with your valued belongings from the harmful effects of UV radiation.

This is particularly beneficial for conservatories, skylights, and large windows, where solar heat gain can be a concern.

Discovering design and aesthetics

Solar control glass offers a wide range of design possibilities and aesthetic options for homeowners.

The availability of various colours, patterns, and coatings allows for versatility in design and integration with the overall architecture of a home.

With the use of heat-reflective glass, it is possible to maximise natural light while minimising solar heat gain. This can lead to the creation of bright and comfortable living spaces that maintain a consistent temperature throughout the day.

Additionally, a reduction in glare can be achieved through this application of reflective coatings on the glass surface.

From a visual standpoint, solar control glass can enhance the appearance of your home. The use of solar glass adds an elegant and modern touch to the overall design.

With this array of design options, you can customise the appearance of your windows or glass features adding personalised characteristics to your home.

Will heat reflective glass cost more?

Certainly, adding this extra layer of special coating to your glass solutions, means the cost of your glazing will be higher than traditional glass.

However, you will want to consider the long-term benefits of this glass style, in terms of lower energy consumption. 

Ask your double glazing expert to provide you with a like-for-like comparison before deciding if heat-reflective glass will be worthwhile for you.  Let’s face it, it may make a difference financially at the outlay but, you’ll feel self-assured and it won’t ‘cost the earth’.

Something to reflect on…

If you’ve never considered heat-reflective glass before you may be surprised to know the numerous benefits of adding this feature to your home glazing. 

Solar control glazing is certainly becoming a popular choice for both residential and commercial constructions. 

Architects and designers in the UK today, have recognised the great advantage to this innovative idea, especially given the changes in climate. 

Thankfully, glass technology has responded positively allowing you the opportunity to become more sustainable, more ecologically responsible and inspirational when it comes to home design. 

Heat-reflective glass makes all this available to you. 

Now that is, something to reflect upon.