Low-E Window Film for Commercial Buildings

Commercial Low-E Window Film That Cuts Summer Heat and Winter Heat Loss

Low-E window film improves the glass your building already has in both seasons: it rejects part of the sun’s heat in summer and reflects room heat back inside in winter, without replacing your windows.

AAA Glass Tint is a commercial window film contractor serving commercial buildings throughout Northern Illinois since 1984. Every project starts with a free assessment of your glass.

Comparing film options? Our Window Film Performance Guide explains heat, glare, UV and Low-E terms.

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What Is Low-E Window Film?

Low-E window film is a thin film with a low-emissivity metallic coating, applied to the room side of existing glass. In summer it rejects part of the sun’s heat. In winter it reflects heat from the room back inside, instead of letting the glass absorb that heat and lose it outdoors. It goes on the glass you already have, with no window replacement.

Ordinary clear glass has an emissivity of about 0.84, which means it absorbs most of the radiant heat from a warm room. Solar Gard’s Ecolux 70 Low-E film lists an emissivity of 0.09. Standard solar control film is chosen mainly for summer heat and glare; Low-E film adds the winter side, which is why it suits buildings where people near the glass are cold in winter and hot in summer.

What Does Low-E Window Film Do for a Commercial Building?

Low-E Window film installed on commercial glass building
  • Summer heat: rejects part of the sun’s heat at the glass, which can reduce the cooling load near the windows.
  • Winter heat loss: reflects room heat back inside. Solar Gard lists Ecolux 70 as reducing winter heat loss by 41 percent on 1/8 inch single pane clear glass and 29 percent on 1/8 inch double pane clear glass.
  • Comfort: fewer hot and cold spots near the glass and more even temperatures through the year.
  • UV: Solar Gard architectural films block more than 99 percent of ultraviolet light, which greatly reduces fading, though no film stops fading completely.
  • Glare: reduced, by an amount that depends on the film. Ecolux 70 keeps 67 percent of visible light on 1/4 inch clear glass; darker films cut more glare and more daylight.
  • No replacement: goes on the existing glass from inside, and the building can normally stay occupied.

Commercial Project Process

How a Commercial Window Film Project Works

Every commercial window film project starts with the existing glass, framing conditions, exposure level, and operational requirements of the building.

01

Glazing Inspection

Review existing glass type, frame condition, exposure, access points, and project goals.

02

Recommended Film Type

Solutions for solar, security, decorative,
bird strike, and installation approach for the building.

03

Installation Coordination

Coordinate installation around occupied storefronts, schools, offices, or active facilities.

04

Completed Retrofit

Final walkthrough, warranty delivery, and completed commercial window film installation.

Which Low-E Film Is Right for Your Building, and When Is It Not the Answer?

Commercial solar control window film installed on commercial building

AAA Glass Tint has been a Solar Gard authorized dealer for more than 20 years. Solar Gard’s film to glass guide lists three Low-E films, and they trade winter insulation, summer heat rejection and appearance differently. Figures are Solar Gard’s, for each film on 1/4 inch clear glass. U-factor measures how readily heat passes through the glass; lower means less heat lost in winter.

  • Ecolux 70: the best winter performance of the three (emissivity 0.09, U-factor 0.60) with the most daylight (67 percent visible light) and low exterior reflectance (13 percent). It rejects 53 percent of total solar energy.
  • Silver AG 50 Low-E: 52 percent visible light, 22 percent exterior reflectance, 56 percent of total solar energy rejected, U-factor 0.77.
  • Silver AG 25 Low-E: the most summer heat rejection (77 percent of total solar energy) and the darkest and most reflective (21 percent visible light, 45 percent exterior reflectance), U-factor 0.74.

These are ratings for the film on a given glass, not a prediction of energy savings. We do not promise a savings number; results depend on the glass, the orientation, the HVAC system and how the building is operated.

Low-E film improves glass that is in good condition. It does not repair a failed window. If insulated units are fogged, seals have failed, air leaks around the frames or the frames are deteriorating, replacement is the better answer, and we will tell you so. We also do not sell Low-E film as a fix for condensation. If condensation is already happening, we want to know why before recommending anything, and no film can remove moisture trapped between the panes of a failed insulated unit. We compare the two options in Low-E Window Film vs. Window Replacement.

Will Low-E Film Change How the Building Looks?

That depends on the film. Ecolux 70 has low exterior reflectance, so it changes the look of the glass the least. The Silver AG films are more reflective from outside, and Silver AG 25 has a distinctly mirrored look in daylight. If the building has appearance standards from a property manager, a lease or an owners’ association, we check them before recommending a film, and when appearance matters we can put samples on your glass first.

For energy benchmarking, green building documentation or a specification, we provide the manufacturer’s data sheets and performance figures for the film we recommend.

How Is Low-E Film Installed, and What Does the Warranty Cover?

Low-E film goes on the inside surface of the existing glass with a wet application. Crews work through the building in sections, so it can normally stay occupied. While the mounting solution dries, the film can look slightly hazy or show small water spots, and cold or overcast weather makes that take longer. Solar Gard asks that new film not be cleaned for 30 days. We do not subcontract installation; our own crews do the work.

Worried about adding film to insulated or Low-E glass? Read how we check film to glass compatibility before anything is installed. Some film and glass combinations need Solar Gard’s written approval whatever the project size, and every installation over 2,500 square feet does. We handle those submittals. If your glass already has a Low-E coating, read how Low-E coatings affect window film.

Solar Gard’s limited warranties cover Ecolux 70 for 15 years in commercial use and its Silver AG Low-E films for 7 years, subject to the product, the glass, the installation and the warranty’s exclusions. Near Lake Michigan we edge seal where Solar Gard calls for it, and because some shade types can void the Silver AG warranty, existing or planned shades are part of the conversation. We register the applicable warranty for you and send the warranty information by email.

To clean the film after the first 30 days, use a soft cloth or synthetic sponge with a mild soap solution, and never abrasive pads, bristle brushes or razor blades.

Solar and Low-E Resources

See all Solar and Low-E resources →

Low-E Window Film Installation in Chicago and Northern Illinois

AAA Glass Tint installs Low-E window film throughout the Chicago metropolitan area and Northern Illinois, with select projects in Northwest Indiana, Southern Wisconsin and Southeast Michigan, for offices, schools, healthcare facilities, retail, government buildings and industrial properties.

Every project starts with a free assessment of the glass, seals and frames, the building’s orientation and what you want to improve, so the film fits the building. For typical project ranges and what moves the price, see what commercial window film costs.

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Low-E Window Film: Illinois Areas Served

Addison
Algonquin
Aurora
Barrington
Berwyn
Bolingbrook
Calumet City
Cary
Cicero
Chicago
Crystal Lake
Des Plaines
Downers Grove
Elgin
Elk Grove Village
Franklin Park
Glen Ellyn
Glenview
Hoffman Estates
Huntley
Joliet
Lake in the Hills
Lisle
Lombard
McHenry County
Morton Grove
Mount Prospect
Naperville
Northbrook
Oak Brook
Orland Park
Rosemont
Schaumburg
Tinley Park
Waukegan
Wheaton
Woodridge

Chicago and Northern Illinois Commercial Window Film Specialists

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