How It Works

How It Works

Glass manages solar heat radiation by three mechanisms: reflectance, transmittance and absorptance.

These are defined as follows:

  1. Reflectance – the proportion of solar radiation reflected back into the atmosphere
  2. Direct transmittance – the proportion of solar radiation transmitted directly through the glass
  3. Absorptance – the proportion of solar radiation absorbed by the glass.

In hot conditions or for building with high internal loads, solar control glass is used to minimise solar heat gain. It allows sunlight to pass through a window or façade while radiating and reflecting away a large degree of the sun's heat.

In more temperate conditions, it can be used to balance solar control with high levels of natural light.