Infrared Windshields: A Complete Guide
An infrared windshield helps in blocking the sunlight’s infrared radiation. However, up to 50% of IR light is reflected back into the atmosphere, but not all of them. This keeps your car cooler and ultimately saves you money on gas. How? As your car would naturally be colder, the AC will run less frequently, thus consuming less fuel.
Finding a purplish haze on your car’s windscreen is the quickest way to determine whether it has an IR windscreen. Alternatively, if your car feels cooler, you may simply check both of them, but before doing so, make sure that both cars are parked in identical weather circumstances.
How Does An IR Glass Function?
The sunlight waves in this explanation can be thought of as having two components. While some waves only contain “visible light,” others also contain infrared. the kind of light that truly enables us to view our surroundings.
Due to these characteristics, solar auto glass—as it is often known—is constructed in a way that allows it to distinguish between these light wavelengths. Then it merely removes the infrared radiant rays, which are heat-producing yet invisible to the human eye.
It doesn’t affect your vision because solar auto glass just blocks, or more precisely, reflects IR light back into the environment from where it originated. Having an infrared windscreen or a standard windscreen has no impact on your ability to see the road.
With this auto glass technology, your car may typically keep 10 degrees Fahrenheit cooler. This directly benefits you in a variety of ways, particularly in Arizona’s more arid climate. Your body will feel less depleted by the heat, and your car’s plastic surfaces will be cooler as well. The same is true with leather seats! As a result, it happens less often when you accidentally burn yourself while contacting various automotive interior components.
The Only Negative
Some radio-controlled devices, such as automatic automobile starters, will need a patch to allow them to “pass-through” the glass’s IR-blocking qualities.
Any other advantages?
It is true that the cooling of your automobile is the most evident and immediate benefit you get from a solar auto glass-covered windscreen. This impact is amplified by interiors that are darker. You do, however, indirectly save some money as a result!
You probably switch on the air conditioning in your car when it gets too hot inside. The alternator in your car, which is powered by the engine, is what your AC utilizes to operate. When everything comes together, you may therefore claim that the AC raises gas consumption.
Yet the less you need to turn it on, the cooler your car is! Infrared glass helps you save money on gas in this way. If you also consider the long term, the money you save will build up and essentially pay for your IR windscreen as they are more expensive than standard ones.
What if I damage my IR glass?
When speaking with us over the phone for a replacement, be sure to mention that solar auto glass is distinct from conventional OEM glass. Nevertheless, if you simply provide the auto glass professionals with your VIN number beforehand, they’ll be able to see in advance whether your model makes use of IR glass.
