In a world that is steadily warming, and with energy bills also on the rise, solar control products are playing a vital role in maintaining the comfort for homeowners, says Paul Higgins of TuffX.
The average British person spends approximately 92% of their time indoors, which equates to less than two hours outside each day. Couple this with the pandemic-driven rise in flexi and full-time home working, and many homeowners now spend more of that time in their properties than ever before.
So, when it comes to building or home improvements, it is paramount that all products work hard to optimise the comfort of living and working spaces, and overall contribute to making the home as healthy and efficient as possible.
SAVING ENERGY
When temperatures soar during the summer months many see their energy bills spike, having relied on fans and air conditioning units to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures. An effective and achievable way to reduce the amount of heat entering the home is to opt for solar control window and door products. Essentially, these products work by reflecting incoming heat away from interior spaces, keeping them cooler with less need for expensive air conditioning.
HOME COMFORT
When it comes to designing the home, comfort is key. This should include considerations beyond just interior layouts, soft furnishings – and of course temperature control! Placing a priority on natural light flow and boosting ambient light levels should also be high on the list. Not only will this further reduce energy bills, but improved natural light levels carry a wealth of health benefits. Solar products are especially useful here, allowing for greater expanses of glass and light, without the added discomfort of increased heat or glare.
SUSTAINABILITY
Reducing our CO2 output, both globally and individually, is becoming ever more important. Not only is excessive energy use in the home costly to the homeowner but also to the environment. For the environmentally conscious, solar glass is a greener alternative to standard non-solar products. Certain solar counterparts can reflect up to twice as much heat away from the home while still allowing high levels of light transmission, again, doing away with the need for expensive air conditioning and additional artificial lighting.
BUILDING REGULATIONS
The growing need to prevent heat from entering our indoor spaces is now keenly recognised by the Government, and has been reflected in the recent updates to UK Building Regulations. Document O, which focuses specifically on the mitigation of heat, has introduced new thresholds for builders and installers to adhere to in this regard. Going forward, compliant solar control products will play an important part in allowing builders and installers to comfortably achieve these new standards.
Paul Higgins is commercial director at TuffX