Lesson plan
Shading coefficient
Shading coefficient (SC) is a measure of thermal performance of a glass unit (panel or window) in a building. It is the ratio of solar gain (due to direct sunlight) passing through a glass unit to the solar energy which passes through 3mm Clear Float Glass. It is an indicator of how well the glass is thermally insulating (shading) the interior when there is direct sunlight on the panel or window. The shading coefficient depends on the color of glass and degree of reflectivity. It also depends on the type of reflective metal oxides for the case of reflective glass. Sputter-coated reflective and/or sputter-coated low-emissivity glasses tend to have lower SC compared to the same pyrolitically-coated reflective and/or low-emissivity glass. The value ranges between 1.00 and 0.00, but experiments show that the value of the SC is typically between 0.98 and 0.10. The lower the rating, the less solar heat is transmitted through the glass, and the greater its shading ability. Solar properties play a significant role in the selection of glass, especially in regions or cardinal directions with high solar exposure. It becomes less significant in situations where direct sunlight is not a major factor (e.g., windows completely shaded by overhangs).…
Article summary
Shading coefficient (SC) is a measure of thermal performance of a glass unit (panel or window) in a building. It is the ratio of solar gain (due to direct sunlight) passing through a glass unit to the solar energy which passes through 3mm Clear Float Glass. It is an indicator of how well the glass is thermally insulating (shading) the interior when there is direct sunlight on the panel or window. The shading coefficient depends on the color of glass and degree of reflectivity. It also depends on the type of reflective metal oxides for the case of reflective glass. Sputter-coated reflective and/or sputter-coated low-emissivity glasses tend to have lower SC compared to the same pyrolitically-coated reflective and/or low-emissivity glass. The value ranges between 1.00 and 0.00, but experiments show that the value of the SC is typically between 0.98 and 0.10. The lower the rating, the less solar heat is transmitted through the glass, and the greater its shading ability. Solar properties play a significant role in the selection of glass, especially in regions or cardinal directions with high solar exposure. It becomes less significant in situations where direct sunlight is not a major factor (e.g., windows completely shaded by overhangs).…
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
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