Thick and multilayered glazings generally have a nonuniform distribution of absorbed solar radiation which is not taken into account by current methods for calculating the center of glass solar gain and thermal performance of glazing systems. This paper presents a more accurate method for calculating the distribution of absorbed solar radiation inside thick and multilayered glazings and demonstrates that this can result in a small but significant difference in steady-state temperature profile and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient for some types of glazing systems when compared to the results of current methods. This indicates that a more detailed approach to calculating the distribution of absorbed solar radiation inside glazings and resulting thermal performance may be justified for certain applications.

This paper analyzes prospects for developing a test device suitable for field verification of the types of low-emittance (low-e) coatings present on high-performance window products. Test devices are currently available that can simply detect the presence of low-e coatings and that can measure other important characteristics of high-performance windows, such as the thickness of glazing layers or the gap in dual glazings. However, no devices have yet been developed that can measure gas concentrations or distinguish among types of coatings. This paper presents two optical methods for verification of low-e coatings. The first method uses a portable, fiber-optic spectrometer to characterize spectral reflectances from 650 to 1,100 nm for selected surfaces within an insulated glazing unit (IGU). The second method uses an infrared-light-emitting diode and a phototransistor to evaluate the aggregate normal reflectance of an IGU at 940 nm. Both methods measure reflectance in the near (solar) infrared spectrum and are useful for distinguishing between regular and spectrally selective low-e coatings. The infrared-diode/phototransistor method appears promising for use in a low-cost, hand-held field test device.