[06/08/2021]

Do you have that one room in your home that always seems to be hot when other rooms in the house seem to be more comfortable?

Chances are this is because of Solar Heat Gain.

Solar Heat Gain can be beneficial and annoying - keeping you toasty-warm in winter, but sweltering in summer. So, what is it? And how can you harness or combat it?

What is Solar Heat Gain?

Solar Gain describes the way that radiation from the sun is turned into heat. When the sun’s rays hit an object, like a window or a wall, this object is heated and subsequently releases heat inwards - creating that heat you feel in that one unbearably hot room.

Window manufacturers use the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) to measure how well a product blocks heat caused by sunlight. The SHGC is measured as a number between 0 and 1 - the lower a windows SHGC rating the less solar heat it will transmit.

How Do I Reduce Solar Heat Gain? (And Do I Want To?) 

If you live in a particularly warm climate and you want to reduce your Solar Gain, there are a few things you can do to reduce its impact:

• Choose blinds or shades that block direct sunlight.
• Consider using deciduous trees for extra shade in the summer (without blocking sunlight in the winter.)

For those in cooler climates though the solutions need to be more nuanced - you don’t necessarily want to lose all of that heat in the wintertime. You need a solution that will keep you warmer in summer and cooler in winter.

Glazing options like Veridian EnergyTech and Soltech are perfect options for those looking to control the temperature within, rather than reduce it year-round.

If you’d like to talk to an expert about the Solar Heat Gain in your home and how you can optimise it, get in touch with us here.

You can also browse our range of Double-Glazed and Low-E glass in our catalogue.