The Effect of Tinted Glass in Houses

Tinted glass reduces heat from the sun.

Used carefully, tinted glass can improve home energy efficiency and make sunnier rooms in your house more comfortable. The right information is key to making a sound decision.

Tinted Glass and Home Energy Efficiency

Tinted glass reduces visible light and the heat your house gains from the sun or "solar heat gain," which can reduce the energy needed to cool a house or increase the energy needed to heat a house. This can mean significant savings in some climates where solar heat can account for up to 30% of the cost of cooling a house, according to the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Measures of the Effects of Tinted Glass

The National Fenestration Rating Council's (NFRC) rating system includes the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) to measure solar radiation, although this indicator includes radiation trapped and then released through the whole window, not just the pane. SHGC is different than Visible Light Transmittance (VT), which measures only the amount of visible light transmitted.

Tinted Glass Products

Specially designed window films can be applied to the interior side of windows to tint glass instead of replacing clear panes with tinted ones. However, unlike tinted panes, window films can trap solar heat in the glass to harmful temperatures known as thermal stress. A window film professional can advise you on the type of product and window orientation to avoid thermal stress.

References

• "Selecting Windows for Energy Efficiency", U.S. Department of Energy
• The Effficient Windows Collaborative: Window Technologies
• The Effficient Windows Collaborative: Solar Heat Gain Coefficient
• The Effficient Windows Collaborative: Visible Transmittance
• The Effficient Windows Collaborative: Improve Existing Windows

Resources

• "Selecting Windows for Energy Efficiency", U.S. Department of Energy
• The Effficient Windows Collaborative