Cooling buildings consumes significantly more energy than heating them. In fact research by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) in the UK shows that on average, 40% of the load placed on air conditioning in offices comes from direct solar gain through windows. However, “being green” means that we have to think seriously about our energy consumption and its impact on our environment when it comes to finding ways to cool buildings.

The application of window film provides a non-invasive passive cooling system, designed to reduce energy costs and CO2 emissions. It improves glazed windows ability to conserve energy and is designed to reduce the amount of solar heat transmission through window glass by increasing the solar reflection and solar absorption of the glass.

So what is the typical performance of solar control window films in reducing energy costs? Understandably, the actual results depend not only upon the film selected but also upon the glazing specification and building construction. However, it is possible to save thousands of Euros a year in energy costs, even in moderate climates. Payback times of less than 3 years are achievable.

To prove a point, CPF Films in Virginia USA undertook a demonstration project to install window film on a mid size commercial office and measure the results using the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP). The results over a 12 month period showed an 8.8% energy saving with a ROI in 3 years.

Window film has one of the fastest paybacks of any, energy reducing product, you can put in a building. It can be specified as part of a new build, or easily retro-fitted to existing glazing to supplement building upgrades. It helps maintain optimum workplace environments for staff and by reflecting solar energy before it penetrates the glazing system, the air conditioning loads are significantly reduced, thus reducing energy consumption and utility bills.

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