SolarSmart™: Polycarbonate glazing that controls heat & light transmission
PALRAM’S SOLARSMART™ TECHNOLOGY defies standard transmission of solar energy in transparent sheets and allows more versatile color and solar transmission specification per project. Unlike regular tints, SolarSmart sheets and panels admit more natural daylight while reflecting outwards Infrared radiation that creates heat. This characteristic breaks the traditional link between shading coefficient and light transmission, allowing a different perspective on the specification of natural light in architectural design.
Promoting Energy Efficiency & Well-Being
SolarSmart tints allow better use of natural lighting without sacrificing the interiors. More natural light results in a healthier and more productive ambiance. Energy saving is also promoted through reduction of both illumination and air conditioning requirements.
SolarSmart™ Technology Groups
The SolarSmart product range includes 3 technology groups, which have different characteristics and appearance, as described in each group page on the right.
Color Specification Options
SolarSmart tints can be applied to any Palram transparent polycarbonate sheet or panel system: SUNPAL, SUNGLAZE, SUNTUF, PALSUN, SUNLITE and PALGARD. The tints can be blended with any color to tailor the desired appearance and solar properties.
250nm-400nm
Ultraviolet
Harmful to living tissue and may cause skin cancer. All Palram polycarbonate products block 99.9% of UV radiation.
400-750nm
Visible Light
The SolarSmart product range includes 3 technology groups, which have different characteristics and appearance, as described in each group page on the right.
750nm-1,450nm
Near-Infrared
Converts to heat when absorbed by objects, resulting in heat buildup. SolarSmart products block a portion of the Infrared radiation and transmit “cool light”, thus improving well-being while reducing AC costs.
Near-Infrared Selectivity
The efficiency of SolarSmart products is measured by their ability to better differentiate between visible light and Near-Infrared energy transmission. Near-Infrared Selectivity values are is calculated by dividing the levels of visible light (400 to 750nm) and Near-Infrared radiation (750 to 1400 nm). Example values of Near-Infrared selectivity appear in each SolarSmart™ group page.
Efficiency Comparison
The attached graph demonstrates the efficiency of SolarSmart products in comparison with clear and standard colored sheets. The graph shows how SolarSmart tints enable higher light transmission specification while maintaining or decreasing shading coefficient values.
Technology Groups – Application Examples
SOLAR CONTROL
STANDARD COLORS: Solar Control, Solar Olympic
APPEARANCE: Hazy metallic
NEAR-INFRARED SELECTIVITY*: 1.03
APPLICATION: Solar Control sheets block heat better than white opal and clear sheets, which tend to develop high heat buildup. These products will not have high clarity but will be very effective when applied with low light transmission in large skylights.
*Data for PALSUN® 3mm Solar Control 35%LT Near-Infrared Selectivity = The ratio of transmitted natural daylight and Infrared energy, which represents the efficiency of SolarSmart™ in transmitting “cool light”.
ATHENS OLYMPIC STADIUM, GREECE
ARCHITECT: Santiago Calatrava
ROOFING: PALSUN® – Solar Olympic 12mm
APPLICATION: Skylight/Roof – 24,000sqm
Palram tailored a brand new tint for the PALSUN Solid Polycarbonate Panel, Solar Olympic, which consisted of Solar Control technology and “glass-like” colors. The result was moderate heat transmission with diffused daylighting, creating a pleasant ambiance for the crowd.
SMART
STANDARD COLORS: Smart Green, Smart Blue
APPEARANCE: Clarity and low haze
NEAR-INFRARED SELECTIVITY*: 3.34
APPLICATION: Smart products offer high light transmissions yet a moderate shading coefficient. Their improved transparency and Near-Infrared selectivity allow a relatively clear view to the outdoors while significantly reducing interior heat buildup.
*Data for PALSUN® 2mm Smart Green 60%LT
Universiade Main Stadium, China
ARCHITECT: GMP
ROOFING: PALSUN® – Smart Green 8,10,12mm
APPLICATION: Skylight/Roof – 45,000sqm
The Smart Green tint that was tailored for the stadium was required to meet the architect’s solar properties specifications. Using tints from the “Smart” family allowed high clarity and light transmission values yet low Infrared admittance.
BREEZE
STANDARD COLORS: Bluish Breeze
APPEARANCE: Light Bluish with ultra-high clarity
NEAR-INFRARED SELECTIVITY*: 5.51
APPLICATION: Breeze products offer unsurpassed energetic efficiency and transparency. Their glass-like clarity can be used to provide high lighting with the clearest view.
*for PALSUN® 3mm Breeze (Colorless) 70%LT
Gruppo Recordare Office Building, Colombia
ROOFING: PALSUN® – Breeze 6mm
APPLICATION: Curtain-Wall / Skylight
Palram supplied PALSUN flat solid polycarbonate sheets with “natural-bluish” Breeze tint. The high Near-Infrared selectivity of the Breeze sheets significantly reduces heat buildup within the structure and allowed the implementation of a large window area.
SolarSmart™ Technology Brochure
Download the information above in our SolarSmart Technology Brochure in PDF form.