Heat Transmission: The Difference of Tinted Glass and Clear Glass
Fridayten April B. Salinas1 and Iluminado D. Quinto Jr.2
1 Student, BS in Architecture Program, University of Mindanao, Matina Campus
Email: salinasfriday@gmail.com
2 Professor, College of Architecture and Fine Artts Education, University of Mindanao,
Matina Campus
Email: iluminadoquinto@umindanao.edu.ph
ABSTRACT
The thermal comfort of its user is a major consideration in designing a building. Selection of
glass type window in designing a building in one of the major consideration by attaining
thermal comfort.
The objective of this study is to differentiate the heat transmission through tinted glass window,
and clear glass window. The study is conducted by experimentation to differentiate the glass
window (clear glass, tinted glass) with the use of devices(normal thermometer), that can
measure the temperature inside the building. This will show the advantage and disadvantage of
each material that affect the thermal comfort of the occupants as well as the temperature inside
the building.
Keywords: Heat transmission, Building envelope, Clear glass window, Thermal comfort,
Tinted glass window
INTRODUCTION
Thermal comfort is the major consideration in building envelope. To attain the comfort of its
user the building it must be well-designed. Thermal energy is responsible to temperature that
we called heat transmission.
Glass is the one who can give the light inside the building through sunlight. Through sunlight,
heat transmission can enter into the building that can create heat and the natural light inside the
building. Natural light is better than artificial light inside the building and if a building using
artificial light by some other means necessarily require energy that can provide thermal
conductivity of a building. Heat can enter the building through the building materials from
warmer and cooler materials in wall, ceiling, roofs, and etc.
Now a days, there are a lot of discoveries material to utilized the heat transmission inside the
building, to attain the temperature. One of the discoveries are tinted glass window. Tinted glass
window is applied by darkened lenses to utilized the heat transmission.
Most likely, glass, as the material has thermal conductivity value of 0.78 W/m·℃ (Cengel,
2008, table 9.1.0). Moreover, there are different types of glass that own their peoperty and
thermal performance. The float glass window is the most commonly used in commercial. Float
glass window is classified in different types and among these are clear glass and tinted glass.
(Odcstle Building Envelope, 2011).
The objective of this study is to compare the difference of clear glass window and tinted glass
window as regard to heat transmission. Hence, the window is way of giving natural light inside
the building as well as the visual connection to the outside.
Research Question:
How does the tinted glass window compare to clear glass window as regard to heat
transmission?
METHODOLOGY
This study aims to know the difference of difference of their temperature in clear
the clear glass window, and tinted glass glass and tinted glass.
window in heat transmission as conducted
in an experimental type of quantitative
research. To measure their temperature in
each type of glass window. I use two model
building, one model building is for clear
glass window and the second model is for
tinted glass window.
The model is oriented to the sun path to
catch up the sunlight. The data are taken in
every one hour by using a normal
termometer, starting at 7 am in the morning
until 4 pm in the afternoon. The gathered Figure 1. Normal Thermomete
data will plot on a graph to know the
RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS
CLEAR GLASS TINTED GLASS
TIME WINDOW WINDOW
TEMPERATURE TEMPERATURE
7:00 AM 28.3º 26.1º
8:00 AM 29 º 27º
9:00 AM 30 º 28.9º
10:00 AM 33.5 º 31º
11:00 AM 35.4 º 34º
12:00 NOON 36 º 34.8º
1:00 PM 34.8 º 33.2º
2:00 PM 33 º 30.1º
3:00 PM 32.3 º 28.7º
4:00 PM 28 º 26.2º
Figure 2. Temperature data of clear glass and tited glass window
The gathered data is taken through the use of normal thermometer and placed inside the
building model. Based on the gathered data, the line graph shows that the clear glass window
is warmer than a tinted glass window. The tinted glass window lessen the sunlight penetration
and heat transmission inside the building. On the other hand, tinted glass window can cause
extra use of energy through artificial lightning. Clear glass window can create natural light
throughout sunlight penetration which is good. While the heat transmission of clear glass
window greater than tinted glass which can cause the extra use of artificial cooler.
CONCLUSION
Based on the gathered data that conducted through the experiment, tinted glass window, lessen
the sun light and it is possible to use artificial lighting and lessen the heat transmission inside
the building. As well as the good thing about clear glass window it gives natural light than to
provide artificial light and can save energy, but it actually warms that will make the occupants
uncomfortable. The clear glass window and tinted glass window is somehow good in a
building, but it has a limitation to use, especially in the condition of the environment of the
building. The gathered data explain that each type of glass has different temperature.
RECOMENDATION
Thermal comfort of the occupant is always a major consideration in the building. Glass is the
gateway to enter the sunlight and the heat inside the building. Glass selection in terms of
thermal comfort must be chosen well. If clear glass is used in the building its better to have
louvers to reduce the heat transmission and it would be also better if there is present trees
around the building to minimize the heat transmission inside the building and to make the
outside environment cooler. Tinted glass window somehow good in terms to lessen the heat
transmission, but it blocks the sunlight.
Selection of the glass window in designing a building is one of the significant consideration,
espicially in the condition of the environment of a building. The climate is one of the factors
to consider the glass type to use, whether a clear glass window or tinted glass window. Based
on the result of the gathered data, the recommended glass window to use is tinted glass in
tropical countries.
REFERENCE
Center for Climate and energy Solutions. (2011). Building envelope. Retrived October 7, 2018,
from https://www.c2es.org/docUploads/BuildingEnvelope.pdf
Cengel, Y. A. (2008). Introduction to thermodynamics and heat transfer (2nd ed.) New York:
McGraww-Hill.
Chaiyapinunta, S., & Khampornb, N. (2009). Selecting Glass Window with Film for Buildings
in a Hot Climate. ENGINEERING JOURNAL, 13(1), 29-41. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
Serth, R., & Lestina, T. (2007). Process Heat Transfer (1st ed.) Academic press.
