How To Use Window Tint for Buildings to Reduce Interior Heat and Cooling Costs
Commercial window tint is one of the most effective energy-reducing and cost-saving elements a building can get, and this is true whether architects and builders incorporate solar control window film into the initial plans for a building or if a property’s owners decide to upgrade with building window tint years after construction. ProLayers has developed several distinct commercial window tint products, each of which offer the same core benefits and each of which offers unique and distinct tinting solutions for commercial spaces.
Most architects, developers, and property managers know full well how window film reduces energy costs in commercial buildings and that commercial tint offers things like glare reduction, UV protection for interiors, and better cooling and energy use reduction for buildings. But many people think of solar control solutions for buildings as monolithic: building window tint is window tint and that’s that, in other words.
But to think of architectural window tint as a one-size-fits-all product instead of thinking of commercial window tints as a vastly diverse and versatile category is to potentially miss out on many of the key benefits of building window tint.
You wouldn’t use the same car for racing on the track as you would for commuting in the city, but both a Formula 1 race car and a Toyota Camry are cars, aren’t they? Just so one commercial window tint might be perfect for daylight optimization in retail storefronts while another building tint may be ideal for high-rise buildings that need dramatic solar heat gain reduction; both are tints, but they are surprisingly different in look and, in many ways, in effect.
ProLayers has spent years developing multiple commercial window tint products precisely because our experience with architectural window film has taught our team how different the needs of different commercial properties can be. Everything from south- and west-facing windows to building height to window size to interior layout changes how commercial window film can help with interior light control, reduced HVAC costs, enhanced security, added privacy, and more
Here are a few of the best commercial window tint products we have developed over the years with explanations on how each window film offers specific benefits.
Soft Tone Layers: An Understated Commercial Tint Solution
If you want heat reduction that can lead to reduced HVAC costs, added privacy without a full prevention of exterior views in, reduced interior glare, and excellent UV damage protection, then Soft Tone Layers is a window film solution well worth consideration for the commercial space you manage or own.
This is one of ProLayers’ most popular architectural window tints for people who want the benefits of window film without the look of tinted windows. To the untrained eye, Soft Tone Layers window tint may not even be perceptible, and that’s from outside a building or within. But if you could step into the same space with and without this window film, you’d appreciate the difference right away.
Soft Tone Layers window tint blocks enough visible light to reduce glare in workspaces (and in living spaces, as many people choose this as a residential window tint, as well) and prevents eye strain that can cause fatigue and headaches, but it still allows in plenty of visible light for creating a bright and inviting interior.
This commercial tint adds a good degree of privacy, but it is not a mirrored window tint nor is it blackout tint, both of which can fully block the view into windows but both of which create a marked change in the way an exterior looks.
This is a window tint solution that enhances occupant comfort and offers daylight optimization, but that does not overly assert itself in terms of changed exterior appearances.
Nano Ceramic Layers: Block the Sun, Don’t Change the Look
Nano Ceramic Layers window film from ProLayers is a thin, transparent film applied to glass that uses microscopic ceramic particles, rather than the dyes or metals found in many commercial tints, to offer improved performance and that maintains aesthetics.
Those ceramic particles are engineered at the nanometer scale, so they are too small to see; they’re truly microscopic. This allows the film to reject and scatter different parts of the solar spectrum but lets treated windows remain highly clear and neutral in appearance. These properties make Nano Ceramic Layers especially popular for commercial properties that want to maintain a clean, professional look without darkening or mirroring their windows.
The ceramic particles are highly effective at blocking heat; they absorb and reflect a significant portion of infrared light—the part of sunlight that carries most of the heat, for the record—helping keep indoor spaces cooler and reducing the load on air conditioning systems. At the same time, Nano Ceramic Layers tinting blocks about 99% of UV rays, which helps prevent fading and damage to furniture, flooring, and merchandise. And also prevents skin damage, by the way.
Because nano ceramic films do not rely on dark tints or metallic coatings, they do not noticeably change how the glass looks from either the inside or the outside. They also avoid the glare and signal interference sometimes associated with metal-based films. As a result, employees and visitors within a commercial property won’t lose cellular service caused by window tints. And they will still enjoy a clear, natural view out, with minimal change in brightness or color in terms of views, while all the benefits of heat and UV protection are added.
Skyline Privacy Layers: ProLayers’ Balanced Approach to Commercial Window Tint
You can’t be all things to all people, and it’s really best not to even try, but our popular Skyline Privacy Layers window film proves you can come relatively close to it.
This is one of our most balanced architectural window tints in that it offers all the core benefits people want from window film for commercial buildings without drastically changing the look of the exterior of a property or the view out from within.
Skyline Privacy Layers window tint adds a reflective look to the exterior of a building but it’s not highly reflective; it’s not a metallic or mirrored tint, thus it’s suitable for use on west-facing and south-facing glass without the risk of a blinding reflectivity for those on the outside of a tinted property.
Inside, Skyline Privacy Layers window tint blocks much of the sun’s light spectrum, reducing interior heat gain by rejecting plenty of infrared solar radiation at those longer wavelengths and preventing interior fading by blocking almost 99% of the ultraviolet light at the shorter wavelength spectrum. The light you want, though, that visible light, is largely left untouched by Skyline Privacy Layers window tint; with a medium-high visible light transmission rating, this window tint allows building interiors to remain bright and inviting by daytime, helping maintain morale in workspaces and an inviting feel in commercial spaces, but with reduced glare that can lead to fatigue and eye strain.
Skyline Privacy Layers commercial window tint also adds privacy to spaces, largely blocking the view into the interior during daylight hours, which can make workers and clientele feel more comfortable in commercial spaces.
All those benefits noted, this might not be the best building window tint in every case, because some commercial spaces want to be fully visible from the outside, like event locations and retailers, for example.