SunBlox Solar Screens uses only heavy-duty 1" x 7/16” (not 3/4"), all aluminum frames with internal aluminum corners for durability, strength, tighter fitting screen material, wind resistance. Our screens are fabricated by professionals in our shop environment in Ocoee, FL.

Solar screens can lower your utility bills immediately
Studies have shown the ability of solar screens to reduce the necessary "tonnage" of an air conditioning system up to 1.5 tons, reduce the overall "load" on the system up to 60%, lower interior temperatures up to 20 degrees, and save you money on utility bills immediately. Added savings are realized in longer lasting equipment, requiring less maintenance due to the decreased work load.

Studies have also shown exterior solar screen shading as THE most cost-effective and efficient way of controlling heat and glare entering any window, new or old. Although interior window treatments offer benefits, exterior application of solar screens has proven to be far superior in enhancing window performance, and controlling the sun's damaging U.V. rays.

Window Tint or Window Film
In past years, people sometimes considered tinting their windows, as an option to solar screens. In most all cases, tinting windows is no longer considered a viable option, if you have a home or building with double pane windows. Most all manufacturers of double pane windows will void your warranty against seal failure if you apply a window film or tint due to the potential damage it can cause. Window tint or film is not nearly as efficient in controlling the heat because it does not treat the heat before it reaches the window and can trap heat between the panes of glass causing the seal to fail due to extreme temperatures and pressure. Most window companies now include written warranty violations for interior tinting. Tinting can also bubble, crack, peel, and fade over time making the home or building unsightly.

Unlike older solar screens, SunBlox Solar Screens made with Phifer SunTex vinyl-coated polyester fabric can shade/block up to 90% of the sun's heat and glare BEFORE it reaches the window, while providing EXCELLENT outward visibility.

What is a Window SHGC?

The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) measures how well a window blocks heat from sunlight. The SHGC is the fraction of the heat from the sun that enters through a window. SHGC is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The lower a window's SHGC, the less solar heat it transmits.

Solar radiation through a window »

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC)
The SHGC describes how much solar energy is transmitted through a window. Solar heat gain can be beneficial—providing free passive solar heat during the winter months — or it can be a problem, resulting in overheating during the summer. Windows with high coefficients are designed for colder climates, while windows with low coefficients are designed for hotter climates.

Visible Light Transmittance
While SHGC describes the relative amount of solar energy that can pass through a window, the visible light transmittance is simply the relative amount of sunlight that can pass through, measured on a scale between 0 and 1. The higher the number, the greater the amount of light that can pass through.

Energy Star (www.energystar.gov) states that you can control direct sun through windows depending on the season and local climate. During cooling season, block direct heat gain from the sun shining through glass on the east and especially west sides of the facility. Depending on your facility, options such as “solar screens,” “solar films,” awnings, and vegetation can help. Over time, trees can attractively shade the facility, and help clean the air. Interior curtains or drapes can help, but it’s best to prevent the summer heat from getting past the glass and inside. During heating season, with the sun low in the South, unobstructed southern windows can contribute solar heat gain during the day.

Solar window screens may be used to meet SHGC requirements
The overall SHGC for a window unit with solar screen is determined by the following equation: [(window SHGC) x (solar screen SHGC) x (percent of area covered)] + [window SHGC x percent of area not covered]. For example, a window with a SHGC of 0.5, using a solar screen that provides 70% shading (the equivalent of 0.3 solar heat gain coefficient) and covers 60% of the window has an overall solar heat gain coefficient of [0.5 x 0.3 x 0.6] + [0.5 x0.4] = 0.09 + 0.20 = 0.29.

On a typical home, windows account for nearly 50% of the heat gain or loss depending on the season, this in turn places close to 50% of the workload on your air conditioning system or heating system. That’s more than the roof, walls, and attic combined! Untreated windows will allow about 20 times more heat into your home than an equal amount of insulated wall space. By controlling the way the sun’s energy enters your home, you can save on summer energy bills and take advantage of “free” heating in the winter.

From The United States Department of Energy

Heat load or heat gain
A building or room gains heat from many sources. Inside occupants, computers, copiers, machinery, and lighting all produce heat. Warm air from outside enters through open doors and windows, or as ‘leakage’ though the structure. However the biggest source of heat is solar radiation from the sun, beating down on the roof and walls, and pouring through the windows, heating internal surfaces. The sum of all these heat sources is know as the heat gain (or heat load) of the building, and is expressed either in BTU (British Thermal Units) or Kw (Kilowatts).

Adjustments for Exterior Shading
The most effective way to control solar heat gains through windows is to intercept the sun before it strikes the window. Exterior shading devices can be an effective means of achieving this. Exterior shading devices include horizontal or vertical fixed position louvers, moveable louvers, and sunscreens. Sunscreens are often decorative in nature and range in style from large pattern aluminum or metal screens to miniature louvers that enable less obstructed views. The methods contained in the ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook (1985) may be used to assess the benefits of exterior shading devices. Sunscreen manufacturers may also have data that may be used in quantifying the benefits of these devices.

http://www.energycodes.gov/comcheck/pdfs/402text.pdf (p.73 & p.75) Also note this is a study done the University of Florida in 2002 as referred to in the “Energy Efficient Building Construction in Florida”

Good Energy Saving Investments
The California Energy Commission states that solar window screens, among the following solutions, are good energy saving investments:

Install window shading;
Install patio covers, awnings, and solar window screens to shade your home from the sun;
For additional future savings, use strategically planted trees, shrubs and vines to shade your home. (Save: 5 percent)

Related Links and References
Alliance to Save Energy www.ase.org

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy www.aceee.org

Clark, Sarah L., Fight Global Warming: 29 Things You Can Do (New York: Consumer Reports Books in association with Environmental Defense Fund, 1991).

DeCicco, John, et al, CO2 Diet for a Greenhouse Planet: A Citizen's Guide for Slowing Global Warming (New York: National Audubon Society, 1990).

Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP) Energy Efficiency http://www.repp.org/efficiency/index.html

The Efficient House Sourcebook and Home Made Money: How to Save Energy and Dollars in your Home. Rocky Mountain Institute.

U.S. DOE - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN) www.eren.doe.gov

Wilson, Alex, 1991 Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings (Washington, D.C.; American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, 1990).

Technical Studies and Facts about Solar Screens

What is a Window SHGC?