What are Solar Shades?

Quick Answer

Solar Shades are roller shades that are manufactured using fabric that is designed to reduce glare, reduce infrared heat gain, provide a degree of daytime privacy and maintain a view outside.

Which Solar Shades are the best?

There are a few things to consider when trying to find the best solar shade for your circumstance - location, performance and aesthetics.

1. Location

Knowing whether your window faces north, south, east or west is the first step in choosing the right solar shade. The sun is not as hot or intense on windows facing north or south as it is on windows facing east (early morning to afternoon) or west (noon till 5PM) and so knowing the direction your window faces will help in determining which fabric offers the level of control you are seeking combined with the individual style that is aesthetically appealing.

2. Performance

Solar Shades can reduce solar heat gain, reduce glare, provide a degree of daytime privacy and filter natural light to illuminate the interior. However, no fabric can accomplish all of the above. You need to decide what feature is the most important or find a comfortable balance between one or more of the above. To help you decide, lets take a look at a couple of important elements - the Openness Factor and fabric color.

3. Openness Factor

The Openness Factor represents the amount of open and/or closed space in the material or more appropriately, the density of the weave. A fabric with a low Openness Factor (OF) reflects more infrared heat, provides greater daytime privacy and offers the greatest glare reduction. A fabric with a high OF provides for a better view out but doesn't reflect as much infrared heat, reduces daytime privacy and allows more natural light to filter through the fabric to illuminate the interior. Many of the benefits associated with a low or high openness factor can be enhanced or negated depending on the fabric color selected (below).

4. Fabric Colors

Dark colors offer the best glare reduction and the best view out. However, dark colors can reduce daytime privacy, and rather than repel infrared heat dark fabric absorbs it - some of which will penetrate the fabric to warm the interior. Also, dark fabric with a low openness factor will cause a room darkening effect and therefore a reliance on artificial lighting. Light colors offer more daytime privacy and reflect more solar heat. Depending on the fabric color, natural light will filter through the fabric to illuminate the interior in varying degrees.

How to choose the right solar shade

Now that you know the basics you should have an easier time narrowing the list of available fabrics that will adequately suit your needs and tastes. Step back from your window and ask yourself which fabric characteristics are the most important. Is your top priority reducing energy costs by maintaining a more consistent room temperature? Do you want a combination of privacy and light control? Is it a combination of glare reduction and preserving your view out?

Once you ask yourself these important questions start with the openness factor and then eliminate the fabrics that don't meet your basic criterias. If the view out is first on your list start with an openness factor of 5%. If glare reduction is second on your list you don't want to go above 5% because as the openness factor increases the more natural light filters through the fabric and you want to go with a dark fabric color. If you don't care about the view out but want more natural light to illuminate the interior - go with 5% openness and above and the select a light fabric color. Order samples in advance so you can determine which fabric allows in just the right amount of light to suit your tastes.

Note: Solar Shades are not sold as privacy shades. While solar shades do provide some degree of daytime privacy they should not be used for nighttime privacy. As well as you can see out during the day - passerbys will be able to see in at night when the interior is illuminated.