Whenever the subject of window tinting is raised, there are always the crucial questions of investment, energy savings and the cost benefits gained.
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At the outset, window tinting film can be at least 5 to 10 per cent or more cost effective as a capital investment than simply installing a replacement glazing system. Whether intended for commercial, industrial or residential applications, return on investment of around a third in many instances may be seen within three years following the installation of a specific window tinting application.
A key part of the energy saving is realised through the reduction of around one third of a property’s cooling requirement. In hot climates, the cost benefit can be substantial as a 75 per cent or more lowering of solar heat gain can significantly reduce the run time of air-conditioning systems or allow running at lower load capacity.
Not only are cooling costs in commercial buildings reduced by as much as 30 per cent, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) equipment life can be lengthened, maintenance costs lowered, and even the possibility of replacing the existing cooling equipment with a smaller, less expensive system.
In commercial office and industrial buildings, studies have shown that employee work efficiency and productivity all gain by some 15 per cent to 50 per cent by the significant improvement to the interior, ambient temperature.
It is important to be aware that the energy savings will always depend on a number of variable factors, such as building location and climate, the existing window glass type / overhangs, and area energy rates. The question of building orientation may also be considered but all window glass will transmit UV radiation regardless of whether they directly face the sun, so all existing windows should be given window tinting protection.
When window tinting and / or solar control film is applied to all existing exterior surface glazing then an even more efficient energy saving can be realised through improved heat rejection, UV radiation blocking (99.9 per cent), glare reduction and lower cooling demand.
Further cost benefits, whether window tinting solar control films are applied to either a small business office frontage or installed in a large-scale corporate facade, may be seen as an added layer of defence against glass breakage and valuable safety protection against interior fading of company floors, furniture and fabrics.
About the Author – Rico Lowe is the author of this post also the owner of a window tinting company called solar tint and design. Rico and his experienced team have over 25 years of experience in this field, and keep up to date on the lasted tinting technology on the market. Solar Tint and Design are based in Johannesburg, but cover surrounding areas.
Great information. keep it up.
Wow, I never knew that window tinting could bring down a property’s cooling requirement by one-third! That is a significant amount of savings to be had. We should definitely look into that because there is a lot of direct sunlight that comes in through our windows in the summer, and it would be great to not have to pay so much for cooling. We’ll look into this more so that we’re ready for the heat again next summer.