Sunlight is a critical part of our daily lives, delivering light and heat throughout the day. At times, the sun’s heat can provide needed warmth — but when sunlight pours through the window of an automobile, home or business it can cause temperatures to rise past a comfortable level.
Choosing an automotive, residential or commercial solar control film can greatly reduce the heat that passes through a window during the day. These films improve energy savings by blocking up to 80% of the sun’s heat and also block UV rays that fade furniture and flooring. But how does window film block heat?
How Does Window Film Work?
When sunlight reaches the earth, it includes three different types of light on the electromagnetic spectrum:
- Visible Light: The light that illuminates our surroundings during the daytime. This is the only band of the elctromagnetic spectrum visible to the human eye.
- Ultraviolet Light: Invisible light that causes skin damage and contributes to color fading in fabrics.
- Infrared Light: Heat energy that is responsible for more than 50% of heat.
Window film designed to reduce heat gain does so by reflecting infrared heat. Madico solar control films also absorb UV rays to help protect the skin of occupants and reduce fading of upholstery, furniture and flooring.
While solar control films absorb UV rays and reflect infrared rays, visible light continues to pass through uninhibited.
Does Window Film Reduce Heat?
One of the many benefits of window film is that it can help make your home, car or business a more comfortable place to live, drive and work by blocking heat coming from the sun’s energy. By eliminating energy coming from the sun, visible light is still able to pass through the glass while the temperature inside the room or car remains cool. Keep in mind that different types of window film will have different results in terms of the amount of light and heat that pass through the film.
Solar Control Film Impact
Solar control film can have a significant benefit when applied to homes, businesses, and automobiles.
Using Window Film to Block Heat in Your Home
In residential homes, as much as 83% of the sun’s energy is transmitted through clear single pane glass and up to 86% of this sunlight becomes heat, resulting in much warmer temperatures indoors. With Madico heat blocking window film, you can block up to 86% of the sun’s energy and more than 99% of harmful UV rays in your home. Window film helps in a number of ways such as saving on home cooling costs, reducing exposure to ultraviolet light and preventing your floors, upholstery and furniture from fading.
Learn More About Residential Window Films
Using Window Film to Reduce Heat Gain in Your Car
Let’s face it: most people, whether at home or at work, have to park their car outside, which means parking their car in the sun. Even on cooler days, it may be noticeably warmer in your car than it is outside. In fact, a car parked outside for just 60 minutes on a 95-degree day can reach up to 157 degrees Fahrenheit on the dashboard, 123 degrees Fahrenheit on the steering wheel and up to 116 degrees Fahrenheit within the cabin of the car. With automotive window film, you can block between 35-65% of solar heat transmission and as more than 99% of the UV rays from your car. Some of the many benefits of installing window film in your car include:
- Reducing time and fuel needed to cool your car
- Reducing exposure to harmful UV rays
- Providing a more comfortable driving experience by reducing glare and heat within the car
Learn More About Automotive Window Films
Commercial Uses for Window Film
For businesses, one of the most important reasons to consider installing window film is to reduce the strain on HVAC systems. As much as 33 percent of energy expenditures from commercial facilities result from the load solar heat gain puts on their HVAC systems. With window film, as much as 86% of the sun’s heat and energy can be reduced, resulting in lower cooling costs and more consistent internal temperatures within the building.
Learn More About Commercial Window Films