|
When invited into homes, I often make mention the benefits of our 3M window films to home owners who have not yet taken advantage of window film products. A common response is that they believe that their investment in interior window shutters or window blinds is sufficient to keep the Tennessee summer heat at bay. Certainly there are benefits to shutters and blinds-
some that even window film cannot match, such as the adjustability of angles to throttle up or down the available light into a room. But just how well are shutters and blinds working against radiant heat? And at what cost to the natural light and views fine home designers have intended home owners to have?
Bob Villa’s site provides some insight to the performance of window shutters and blinds. In his article titled “Solar Heat Gain Control for Windows”, he cites these metrics:
The following are the percentages of the radiant energy that different types of internal shading devices transmit, reflect, or absorb :
-
Roller Shades: up to 25%, 15-80%, 20-65%
-
Vertical Blinds: 0%, 23%, 77%
-
Venetian Blinds: 5%, 40-60%, 35-55%
Looking this data over we can see that, yes, there is benefits through the reflection of radiant heat (the middle data point) towards the outside of the window. Keep in mind, however, that these “internal shading devices” are INSIDE the home. Now look at the two other data points. The first data point is how much light is allowed into the home. I don’t know about you, but my idea of a comfortable living space is one that lets in more than 0%-25% of available light. And further, data point three shows a high amount of ABSORBED radiant heat. Since the shades are inside the home, this absorbed heat is being re-radiated into the living space!
A very important function of shutters and blinds is their ability to change the amount of light and to allow for perfect privacy when needed. This is something that window film alone cannot solve. However the addition of window film greatly reduces heat, reflecting it out of the living space at the glass, before the solar energy even gets inside the home. This allows the home owner to let more light in during the day while still keeping heat at bay. And home owners can take advantage of greatly increased natural light, especially if a new, clear, nano-technology film is chosen. Additional benefits include energy savings such as lower cooling costs and less wear and tear on HVAC equipment. They can also open up those blinds to see the beautiful world outside their homes.
|
