Renewable energy has been growing in popularity both commercially and for the private consumer. Wind, geothermal, biofuel, hydropower, ocean, fuel cell technology and solar are the most common types of renewable energy sources but our focus here is solar film. Solar film is a laminate that can be installed to the interior of a glass surface in cars, boats, homes and buildings. It’s made of polyester because of its clarity, tensile strength, stability and the ability to accept a variety of surface-applied treatments.
Whether applied at home or at work, applying solar film to windows can make a noticeable impact not only aesthetically but also from a cost-savings perspective. Just like turning down the blinds in your home to block out sunlight during a heatwave, nearly invisible solar film can transform a space, reduce internal hot spots, protect floors/furniture and keep it cool at the same time. Offering a “green” option to reduce energy costs, solar film can significantly cut down your HVAC costs. At a glance, benefits to solar film include:
- Adding efficiency to your current windows at a fraction of the cost of replacing
- Lower utility bills
For instance
Depending on the amount of glass surface area and the position of the glass against the sun’s position, solar film can block between 60% and 70% of the heat and nearly eliminate all dangerous, ultraviolet (UF) rays. Consider the following: a 3,000 square foot home in Washington D.C., with dual-pane, clear windows with medium-high solar film applied:
- Annual cooling savings: $203
- Annual kilowatt-hour savings: $1,692
- Annual cooling energy savings: 25.2%
- UV ray reduction: 99.9%
- Annual carbon emissions reduction: 2,606 lbs. CO2 (equivalent to removing 16, 60-watt light bulbs)
Now let’s look at a commercial example. Consider the following: a 55,000 square foot, 3-story building with a window-to-wall ratio of 20% on all exposures, also with dual glass-paned windows with medium-high solar film applied:
- Savings on annual energy costs: 3.3%
- Approximate (simple) return on investment in years: 3.65
- Approximate annual savings: $4,277
- Annual carbon emissions reduction: 18,049 kg CO2 (equivalent to removing 428, 32-watt fluorescent lamps)
There are many renewable options available on the market – each with a range of price points and benefits, but hopefully this sheds some light on the true power and cost effectiveness of solar film!
