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Solar gain

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Solar gain (also known as solar heat gain or passive solar gain ) is the increase in thermal energy of a space, object or structure as it absorbs incident solar radiation . The amount of solar gain a space experiences is a function of the total incident solar irradiance and of the ability of any intervening material to transmit or resist the radiation.

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80-397: Objects struck by sunlight absorb its visible and short-wave infrared components, increase in temperature, and then re-radiate that heat at longer infrared wavelengths . Though transparent building materials such as glass allow visible light to pass through almost unimpeded, once that light is converted to long-wave infrared radiation by materials indoors, it is unable to escape back through

160-471: A passive missile guidance system , which uses the emission from a target of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared part of the spectrum to track it. Missiles that use infrared seeking are often referred to as "heat-seekers" since infrared (IR) is just below the visible spectrum of light in frequency and is radiated strongly by hot bodies. Many objects such as people, vehicle engines, and aircraft generate and retain heat, and as such, are especially visible in

240-517: A thermographic camera , with the fundamental difference that each pixel contains a full LWIR spectrum. Consequently, chemical identification of the object can be performed without a need for an external light source such as the Sun or the Moon. Such cameras are typically applied for geological measurements, outdoor surveillance and UAV applications. In infrared photography , infrared filters are used to capture

320-600: A chemical and electrical process and then converted back into visible light. Infrared light sources can be used to augment the available ambient light for conversion by night vision devices, increasing in-the-dark visibility without actually using a visible light source. The use of infrared light and night vision devices should not be confused with thermal imaging , which creates images based on differences in surface temperature by detecting infrared radiation ( heat ) that emanates from objects and their surrounding environment. Infrared radiation can be used to remotely determine

400-476: A continuous sequence of weather to be studied. These infrared pictures can depict ocean eddies or vortices and map currents such as the Gulf Stream, which are valuable to the shipping industry. Fishermen and farmers are interested in knowing land and water temperatures to protect their crops against frost or increase their catch from the sea. Even El Niño phenomena can be spotted. Using color-digitized techniques,

480-403: A molecule vibrates at a frequency characteristic of that bond. A group of atoms in a molecule (e.g., CH 2 ) may have multiple modes of oscillation caused by the stretching and bending motions of the group as a whole. If an oscillation leads to a change in dipole in the molecule then it will absorb a photon that has the same frequency. The vibrational frequencies of most molecules correspond to

560-431: A more emissive one. For that reason, incorrect selection of emissivity and not accounting for environmental temperatures will give inaccurate results when using infrared cameras and pyrometers. Infrared is used in night vision equipment when there is insufficient visible light to see. Night vision devices operate through a process involving the conversion of ambient light photons into electrons that are then amplified by

640-463: A near-IR laser may thus appear dim red and can present a hazard since it may actually be quite bright. Even IR at wavelengths up to 1,050 nm from pulsed lasers can be seen by humans under certain conditions. A commonly used subdivision scheme is: NIR and SWIR together is sometimes called "reflected infrared", whereas MWIR and LWIR is sometimes referred to as "thermal infrared". The International Commission on Illumination (CIE) recommended

720-703: A space. To minimize this and reduce cooling loads, several technologies exist for solar gain reduction. SHGC is influenced by the color or tint of glass and its degree of reflectivity . Reflectivity can be modified through the application of reflective metal oxides to the surface of the glass. Low-emissivity coating is another more recently developed option that offers greater specificity in the wavelengths reflected and re-emitted. This allows glass to block mainly short-wave infrared radiation without greatly reducing visible transmittance . In climate-responsive design for cold and mixed climates , windows are typically sized and positioned in order to provide solar heat gains during

800-427: A spectrum of wavelengths, but sometimes only a limited region of the spectrum is of interest because sensors usually collect radiation only within a specific bandwidth. Thermal infrared radiation also has a maximum emission wavelength, which is inversely proportional to the absolute temperature of object, in accordance with Wien's displacement law . The infrared band is often subdivided into smaller sections, although how

880-435: A surface. Materials with high SRI will reflect and emit a majority of heat energy, keeping them cooler than other exterior finishes. This is quite significant in the design of roofs since dark roofing materials can often be as much as 50 °C hotter than the surrounding air temperature, leading to large thermal stresses as well as heat transfer to interior space. Solar gain can have either positive or negative effects depending on

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960-404: A window or door as a whole, factoring in the glass, frame material, sash (if present), divided lite bars (if present) and screens (if present). The transmittance of each component is calculated in a similar manner to the shading coefficient. However, in contrast to the shading coefficient, the total solar gain is calculated on a wavelength-by-wavelength basis where the directly transmitted portion of

1040-485: A window with no solar energy transmittance. In practice though, most g-values will range between 0.2 and 0.7, with solar control glazing having a g-value of less than 0.5. SHGC is the successor to the shading coefficient used in the United States and it is the ratio of transmitted solar radiation to incident solar radiation of an entire window assembly. It ranges from 0 to 1 and refers to the solar energy transmittance of

1120-405: A worldwide scale, this cooling method has been proposed as a way to slow and even reverse global warming , with some estimates proposing a global surface area coverage of 1-2% to balance global heat fluxes. IR data transmission is also employed in short-range communication among computer peripherals and personal digital assistants . These devices usually conform to standards published by IrDA ,

1200-431: Is a measure of the radiative thermal performance of a glass unit (panel or window) in a building . It is defined as the ratio of solar radiation at a given wavelength and angle of incidence passing through a glass unit to the radiation that would pass through a reference window of frameless 3 millimetres (0.12 in) Clear Float Glass. Since the quantities compared are functions of both wavelength and angle of incidence,

1280-411: Is a property of a surface that describes how its thermal emissions deviate from the ideal of a black body . To further explain, two objects at the same physical temperature may not show the same infrared image if they have differing emissivity. For example, for any pre-set emissivity value, objects with higher emissivity will appear hotter, and those with a lower emissivity will appear cooler (assuming, as

1360-451: Is absorbed then re-radiated at longer wavelengths. Visible light or ultraviolet-emitting lasers can char paper and incandescently hot objects emit visible radiation. Objects at room temperature will emit radiation concentrated mostly in the 8 to 25 μm band, but this is not distinct from the emission of visible light by incandescent objects and ultraviolet by even hotter objects (see black body and Wien's displacement law ). Heat

1440-426: Is also a technique called ' T-ray ' imaging, which is imaging using far-infrared or terahertz radiation . Lack of bright sources can make terahertz photography more challenging than most other infrared imaging techniques. Recently T-ray imaging has been of considerable interest due to a number of new developments such as terahertz time-domain spectroscopy . Infrared tracking, also known as infrared homing, refers to

1520-430: Is associated with spectra far above the infrared, extending into visible, ultraviolet, and even X-ray regions (e.g. the solar corona ). Thus, the popular association of infrared radiation with thermal radiation is only a coincidence based on typical (comparatively low) temperatures often found near the surface of planet Earth. The concept of emissivity is important in understanding the infrared emissions of objects. This

1600-533: Is being researched as an aid for visually impaired people through the Remote infrared audible signage project. Transmitting IR data from one device to another is sometimes referred to as beaming . IR is sometimes used for assistive audio as an alternative to an audio induction loop . Infrared vibrational spectroscopy (see also near-infrared spectroscopy ) is a technique that can be used to identify molecules by analysis of their constituent bonds. Each chemical bond in

1680-485: Is classified as part of optical astronomy . To form an image, the components of an infrared telescope need to be carefully shielded from heat sources, and the detectors are chilled using liquid helium . The sensitivity of Earth-based infrared telescopes is significantly limited by water vapor in the atmosphere, which absorbs a portion of the infrared radiation arriving from space outside of selected atmospheric windows . This limitation can be partially alleviated by placing

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1760-423: Is counted as part of the microwave band, not infrared, moving the band edge of infrared to 0.1 mm (3 THz). Sunlight , at an effective temperature of 5,780  K (5,510 °C, 9,940 °F), is composed of near-thermal-spectrum radiation that is slightly more than half infrared. At zenith , sunlight provides an irradiance of just over 1  kW per square meter at sea level. Of this energy, 527 W

1840-456: Is defined (according to different standards) at various values typically between 700 nm and 800 nm, but the boundary between visible and infrared light is not precisely defined. The human eye is markedly less sensitive to light above 700 nm wavelength, so longer wavelengths make insignificant contributions to scenes illuminated by common light sources. Particularly intense near-IR light (e.g., from lasers , LEDs or bright daylight with

1920-575: Is efficiently detected by inexpensive silicon photodiodes , which the receiver uses to convert the detected radiation to an electric current . That electrical signal is passed through a high-pass filter which retains the rapid pulsations due to the IR transmitter but filters out slowly changing infrared radiation from ambient light. Infrared communications are useful for indoor use in areas of high population density. IR does not penetrate walls and so does not interfere with other devices in adjoining rooms. Infrared

2000-587: Is emitted or absorbed by molecules when changing rotational-vibrational movements. It excites vibrational modes in a molecule through a change in the dipole moment , making it a useful frequency range for study of these energy states for molecules of the proper symmetry. Infrared spectroscopy examines absorption and transmission of photons in the infrared range. Infrared radiation is used in industrial, scientific, military, commercial, and medical applications. Night-vision devices using active near-infrared illumination allow people or animals to be observed without

2080-491: Is energy in transit that flows due to a temperature difference. Unlike heat transmitted by thermal conduction or thermal convection , thermal radiation can propagate through a vacuum . Thermal radiation is characterized by a particular spectrum of many wavelengths that are associated with emission from an object, due to the vibration of its molecules at a given temperature. Thermal radiation can be emitted from objects at any wavelength, and at very high temperatures such radiation

2160-552: Is especially useful since some radiation at these wavelengths can escape into space through the atmosphere's infrared window . This is how passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) surfaces are able to achieve sub-ambient cooling temperatures under direct solar intensity, enhancing terrestrial heat flow to outer space with zero energy consumption or pollution . PDRC surfaces maximize shortwave solar reflectance to lessen heat gain while maintaining strong longwave infrared (LWIR) thermal radiation heat transfer . When imagined on

2240-676: Is infrared radiation, 445 W is visible light, and 32 W is ultraviolet radiation. Nearly all the infrared radiation in sunlight is near infrared, shorter than 4 μm. On the surface of Earth, at far lower temperatures than the surface of the Sun, some thermal radiation consists of infrared in the mid-infrared region, much longer than in sunlight. Black-body, or thermal, radiation is continuous: it radiates at all wavelengths. Of these natural thermal radiation processes, only lightning and natural fires are hot enough to produce much visible energy, and fires produce far more infrared than visible-light energy. In general, objects emit infrared radiation across

2320-403: Is no universally accepted definition of the range of infrared radiation. Typically, it is taken to extend from the nominal red edge of the visible spectrum at 780 nm to 1 mm. This range of wavelengths corresponds to a frequency range of approximately 430 THz down to 300 GHz. Beyond infrared is the microwave portion of the electromagnetic spectrum . Increasingly, terahertz radiation

2400-457: Is often the case, that the surrounding environment is cooler than the objects being viewed). When an object has less than perfect emissivity, it obtains properties of reflectivity and/or transparency, and so the temperature of the surrounding environment is partially reflected by and/or transmitted through the object. If the object were in a hotter environment, then a lower emissivity object at the same temperature would likely appear to be hotter than

2480-530: Is one of the primary parameters studied in research into global warming , together with solar radiation . A pyrgeometer is utilized in this field of research to perform continuous outdoor measurements. This is a broadband infrared radiometer with sensitivity for infrared radiation between approximately 4.5 μm and 50 μm. Astronomers observe objects in the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum using optical components, including mirrors, lenses and solid state digital detectors. For this reason it

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2560-482: Is shaded from solar gain than glass treatments. Apart from windows, walls and roofs also serve as pathways for solar gain. In these components heat transfer is entirely due to absorptance, conduction, and re-radiation since all transmittance is blocked in opaque materials. The primary metric in opaque components is the Solar Reflectance Index which accounts for both solar reflectance (albedo) and emittance of

2640-464: Is that low clouds such as stratus or fog can have a temperature similar to the surrounding land or sea surface and do not show up. However, using the difference in brightness of the IR4 channel (10.3–11.5 μm) and the near-infrared channel (1.58–1.64 μm), low clouds can be distinguished, producing a fog satellite picture. The main advantage of infrared is that images can be produced at night, allowing

2720-519: Is that the IR energy heats only opaque objects, such as food, rather than the air around them. Infrared heating is also becoming more popular in industrial manufacturing processes, e.g. curing of coatings, forming of plastics, annealing, plastic welding, and print drying. In these applications, infrared heaters replace convection ovens and contact heating. A variety of technologies or proposed technologies take advantage of infrared emissions to cool buildings or other systems. The LWIR (8–15 μm) region

2800-438: Is the dominant band for long-distance telecommunications networks . The S and L bands are based on less well established technology, and are not as widely deployed. Infrared radiation is popularly known as "heat radiation", but light and electromagnetic waves of any frequency will heat surfaces that absorb them. Infrared light from the Sun accounts for 49% of the heating of Earth, with the rest being caused by visible light that

2880-402: Is the most common way for remote controls to command appliances. Infrared remote control protocols like RC-5 , SIRC , are used to communicate with infrared. Free-space optical communication using infrared lasers can be a relatively inexpensive way to install a communications link in an urban area operating at up to 4 gigabit/s, compared to the cost of burying fiber optic cable, except for

2960-475: Is the spectral transmittance at a given wavelength in nanometers and E ( λ ) {\displaystyle E(\lambda )} is the incident solar spectral irradiance. When integrated over the wavelengths of solar short-wave radiation, it yields the total fraction of transmitted solar energy across all solar wavelengths. The product N ∗ A ( λ , θ ) {\displaystyle N*A(\lambda ,\theta )}

3040-520: Is the spectroscopic wavenumber . It is the frequency divided by the speed of light in vacuum. In the semiconductor industry, infrared light can be used to characterize materials such as thin films and periodic trench structures. By measuring the reflectance of light from the surface of a semiconductor wafer, the index of refraction (n) and the extinction Coefficient (k) can be determined via the Forouhi–Bloomer dispersion equations . The reflectance from

3120-551: Is the wavelength of radiation and θ is the angle of incidence. "T" is the transmissivity of the glass, "A" is its absorptivity, and "N" is the fraction of absorbed energy that is re-emitted into the space. The overall shading coefficient is thus given by the ratio: S . C . = F ( λ , θ ) 1 / F ( λ , θ ) o {\displaystyle S.C.=F(\lambda ,\theta )_{1}/F(\lambda ,\theta )_{o}} The shading coefficient depends on

3200-422: Is thus the portion of absorbed and re-emitted energy across all assembly components beyond just the glass. It is important to note that the standard SHGC is calculated only for an angle of incidence normal to the window. However this tends to provide a good estimate over a wide range of angles, up to 30 degrees from normal in most cases. SHGC can either be estimated through simulation models or measured by recording

3280-404: Is typically in the range 10.3–12.5 μm (IR4 and IR5 channels). Clouds with high and cold tops, such as cyclones or cumulonimbus clouds , are often displayed as red or black, lower warmer clouds such as stratus or stratocumulus are displayed as blue or grey, with intermediate clouds shaded accordingly. Hot land surfaces are shown as dark-grey or black. One disadvantage of infrared imagery

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3360-401: The radiation properties of the window assembly. These properties are the transmissivity "T" , absorptivity "A", emissivity (which is equal to the absorptivity for any given wavelength), and reflectivity all of which are dimensionless quantities that together sum to 1. Factors such as color , tint, and reflective coatings affect these properties, which is what prompted the development of

3440-517: The terahertz radiation band. Almost all black-body radiation from objects near room temperature is in the IR band. As a form of electromagnetic radiation, IR carries energy and momentum , exerts radiation pressure , and has properties corresponding to both those of a wave and of a particle , the photon . It was long known that fires emit invisible heat ; in 1681 the pioneering experimenter Edme Mariotte showed that glass, though transparent to sunlight, obstructed radiant heat. In 1800

3520-426: The visible spectrum ), so IR is invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to include wavelengths from around 750  nm (400  THz ) to 1  mm (300  GHz ). IR is commonly divided between longer-wavelength thermal IR, emitted from terrestrial sources, and shorter-wavelength IR or near-IR, part of the solar spectrum . Longer IR wavelengths (30–100 μm) are sometimes included as part of

3600-535: The IR spectrum is thereby divided varies between different areas in which IR is employed. Infrared radiation is generally considered to begin with wavelengths longer than visible by the human eye. There is no hard wavelength limit to what is visible, as the eye's sensitivity decreases rapidly but smoothly, for wavelengths exceeding about 700 nm. Therefore wavelengths just longer than that can be seen if they are sufficiently bright, though they may still be classified as infrared according to usual definitions. Light from

3680-477: The Infrared Data Association. Remote controls and IrDA devices use infrared light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to emit infrared radiation that may be concentrated by a lens into a beam that the user aims at the detector. The beam is modulated , i.e. switched on and off, according to a code which the receiver interprets. Usually very near-IR is used (below 800 nm) for practical reasons. This wavelength

3760-557: The SC value by 0.87. The g-value (sometimes also called a Solar Factor or Total Solar Energy Transmittance) is the coefficient commonly used in Europe to measure the solar energy transmittance of windows. Despite having minor differences in modeling standards compared to the SHGC, the two values are effectively the same. A g-value of 1.0 represents full transmittance of all solar radiation while 0.0 represents

3840-554: The Shading Coefficient and towards the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) , which is defined as the fraction of incident solar radiation that actually enters a building through the entire window assembly as heat gain (not just the glass portion). The standard method for calculating the SHGC also uses a more realistic wavelength-by-wavelength method, rather than just providing a coefficient for a single wavelength like

3920-518: The astronomer Sir William Herschel discovered that infrared radiation is a type of invisible radiation in the spectrum lower in energy than red light, by means of its effect on a thermometer . Slightly more than half of the energy from the Sun was eventually found, through Herschel's studies, to arrive on Earth in the form of infrared. The balance between absorbed and emitted infrared radiation has an important effect on Earth's climate . Infrared radiation

4000-453: The climate. In the context of passive solar building design, the aim of the designer is normally to maximize solar gain within the building in the winter (to reduce space heating demand), and to control it in summer (to minimize cooling requirements). Thermal mass may be used to even out the fluctuations during the day, and to some extent between days. Uncontrolled solar gain is undesirable in hot climates due to its potential for overheating

4080-483: The composition and coating of the building glazing can also be manipulated to increase the greenhouse effect by optimizing their radiation properties, while their size, position, and shading can be used to optimize solar gain. Solar gain can also be transferred to the building by indirect or isolated solar gain systems. Passive solar designs typically employ large equator facing windows with a high SHGC and overhangs that block sunlight in summer months and permit it to enter

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4160-539: The division of infrared radiation into the following three bands: ISO 20473 specifies the following scheme: Astronomers typically divide the infrared spectrum as follows: These divisions are not precise and can vary depending on the publication. The three regions are used for observation of different temperature ranges, and hence different environments in space. The most common photometric system used in astronomy allocates capital letters to different spectral regions according to filters used; I, J, H, and K cover

4240-469: The eye is given a moment to adjust to the extremely dim image coming through a visually opaque IR-passing photographic filter, it is possible to see the Wood effect that consists of IR-glowing foliage. In optical communications , the part of the infrared spectrum that is used is divided into seven bands based on availability of light sources, transmitting/absorbing materials (fibers), and detectors: The C-band

4320-499: The frequencies of infrared light. Typically, the technique is used to study organic compounds using light radiation from the mid-infrared, 4,000–400 cm . A spectrum of all the frequencies of absorption in a sample is recorded. This can be used to gain information about the sample composition in terms of chemical groups present and also its purity (for example, a wet sample will show a broad O-H absorption around 3200 cm ). The unit for expressing radiation in this application, cm ,

4400-533: The gray-shaded thermal images can be converted to color for easier identification of desired information. The main water vapour channel at 6.40 to 7.08 μm can be imaged by some weather satellites and shows the amount of moisture in the atmosphere. In the field of climatology, atmospheric infrared radiation is monitored to detect trends in the energy exchange between the Earth and the atmosphere. These trends provide information on long-term changes in Earth's climate. It

4480-558: The heating season. To that end, glazing with a relatively high solar heat gain coefficient is often used so as not to block solar heat gains, especially in the sunny side of the house. SHGC also decreases with the number of glass panes used in a window. For example, in triple glazed windows , SHGC tends to be in the range of 0.33 - 0.47. For double glazed windows SHGC is more often in the range of 0.42 - 0.55. Different types of glass can be used to increase or to decrease solar heat gain through fenestration, but can also be more finely tuned by

4560-411: The infrared light can also be used to determine the critical dimension, depth, and sidewall angle of high aspect ratio trench structures. Weather satellites equipped with scanning radiometers produce thermal or infrared images, which can then enable a trained analyst to determine cloud heights and types, to calculate land and surface water temperatures, and to locate ocean surface features. The scanning

4640-496: The infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum (roughly 9,000–14,000 nm or 9–14 μm) and produce images of that radiation. Since infrared radiation is emitted by all objects based on their temperatures, according to the black-body radiation law, thermography makes it possible to "see" one's environment with or without visible illumination. The amount of radiation emitted by an object increases with temperature, therefore thermography allows one to see variations in temperature (hence

4720-412: The infrared wavelengths of light compared to objects in the background. Infrared radiation can be used as a deliberate heating source. For example, it is used in infrared saunas to heat the occupants. It may also be used in other heating applications, such as to remove ice from the wings of aircraft (de-icing). Infrared radiation is used in cooking, known as broiling or grilling . One energy advantage

4800-426: The less solar heat is transmitted through the glass, and the greater its shading ability. In addition to glass properties, shading devices integrated into the window assembly are also included in the SC calculation. Such devices can reduce the shading coefficient by blocking portions of the glazing with opaque or translucent material, thus reducing the overall transmissivity. Window design methods have moved away from

4880-408: The most common metrics for quantifying solar gain are used as a standard way of reporting the thermal properties of window assemblies. In the United States, The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers ( ASHRAE ), and The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) maintain standards for the calculation and measurement of these values. The shading coefficient (SC)

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4960-438: The name). A hyperspectral image is a "picture" containing continuous spectrum through a wide spectral range at each pixel. Hyperspectral imaging is gaining importance in the field of applied spectroscopy particularly with NIR, SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR spectral regions. Typical applications include biological, mineralogical, defence, and industrial measurements. Thermal infrared hyperspectral imaging can be similarly performed using

5040-405: The near-infrared spectrum. Digital cameras often use infrared blockers . Cheaper digital cameras and camera phones have less effective filters and can view intense near-infrared, appearing as a bright purple-white color. This is especially pronounced when taking pictures of subjects near IR-bright areas (such as near a lamp), where the resulting infrared interference can wash out the image. There

5120-446: The near-infrared wavelengths; L, M, N, and Q refer to the mid-infrared region. These letters are commonly understood in reference to atmospheric windows and appear, for instance, in the titles of many papers . A third scheme divides up the band based on the response of various detectors: Near-infrared is the region closest in wavelength to the radiation detectable by the human eye. mid- and far-infrared are progressively further from

5200-431: The observer being detected. Infrared astronomy uses sensor-equipped telescopes to penetrate dusty regions of space such as molecular clouds , to detect objects such as planets , and to view highly red-shifted objects from the early days of the universe . Infrared thermal-imaging cameras are used to detect heat loss in insulated systems, to observe changing blood flow in the skin, to assist firefighting, and to detect

5280-477: The opposite is true. Industry technical experts recognized the limitations of SC and pushed towards SHGC in the United States (and the analogous g-value in Europe) before the early 1990s. A conversion from SC to SHGC is not necessarily straightforward, as they each take into account different heat transfer mechanisms and paths (window assembly vs. glass-only). To perform an approximate conversion from SC to SHGC, multiply

5360-506: The overheating of electrical components. Military and civilian applications include target acquisition , surveillance , night vision , homing , and tracking. Humans at normal body temperature radiate chiefly at wavelengths around 10 μm. Non-military uses include thermal efficiency analysis, environmental monitoring, industrial facility inspections, detection of grow-ops , remote temperature sensing, short-range wireless communication , spectroscopy , and weather forecasting . There

5440-578: The proper orientation of windows and by the addition of shading devices such as overhangs , louvers , fins, porches , and other architectural shading elements. Passive solar heating is a design strategy that attempts to maximize the amount of solar gain in a building when additional heating is desired. It differs from active solar heating which uses exterior water tanks with pumps to absorb solar energy because passive solar systems do not require energy for pumping and store heat directly in structures and finishes of occupied space. In direct solar gain systems,

5520-426: The radiation damage. "Since the eye cannot detect IR, blinking or closing the eyes to help prevent or reduce damage may not happen." Infrared lasers are used to provide the light for optical fiber communications systems. Wavelengths around 1,330 nm (least dispersion ) or 1,550 nm (best transmission) are the best choices for standard silica fibers. IR data transmission of audio versions of printed signs

5600-404: The shading coefficient as a correction factor to account for this. ASHRAE's table of solar heat gain factors provides the expected solar heat gain for ⅛” clear float glass at different latitudes, orientations, and times, which can be multiplied by the shading coefficient to correct for differences in radiation properties. The value of the shading coefficient ranges from 0 to 1. The lower the rating,

5680-409: The shading coefficient does. Though the shading coefficient is still mentioned in manufacturer product literature and some industry computer software, it is no longer mentioned as an option in industry-specific texts or model building codes. Aside from its inherent inaccuracies, another shortcoming of the SC is its counter-intuitive name, which suggests that high values equal high shading when in reality

5760-648: The shading coefficient for a window assembly is typically reported for a single wavelength typical of solar radiation entering normal to the plane of glass. This quantity includes both energy that is transmitted directly through the glass as well as energy that is absorbed by the glass and frame and re-radiated into the space, and is given by the following equation: F ( λ , θ ) = T ( λ , θ ) + N ∗ A ( λ , θ ) {\displaystyle F(\lambda ,\theta )=T(\lambda ,\theta )+N*A(\lambda ,\theta )} Here, λ

5840-395: The solar heat gain coefficient is given by: T = ∫ 350   n m 3500   n m T ( λ ) E ( λ ) d λ {\displaystyle T=\int \limits _{350\ nm}^{3500\ nm}T(\lambda )E(\lambda )d\lambda } Here T ( λ ) {\displaystyle T(\lambda )}

5920-476: The temperature of objects (if the emissivity is known). This is termed thermography, or in the case of very hot objects in the NIR or visible it is termed pyrometry . Thermography (thermal imaging) is mainly used in military and industrial applications but the technology is reaching the public market in the form of infrared cameras on cars due to greatly reduced production costs. Thermographic cameras detect radiation in

6000-472: The total heat flow through a window with a calorimeter chamber. In both cases, NFRC standards outline the procedure for the test procedure and calculation of the SHGC. For dynamic fenestration or operable shading, each possible state can be described by a different SHGC. Though the SHGC is more realistic than the SC, both are only rough approximations when they include complex elements such as shading devices, which offer more precise control over when fenestration

6080-436: The use of transparent phase change materials that both admit light and store energy without the need for excessive weight. Infrared Infrared ( IR ; sometimes called infrared light ) is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than that of visible light but shorter than microwaves . The infrared spectral band begins with waves that are just longer than those of red light (the longest waves in

6160-476: The visible light filtered out) can be detected up to approximately 780 nm, and will be perceived as red light. Intense light sources providing wavelengths as long as 1,050 nm can be seen as a dull red glow, causing some difficulty in near-IR illumination of scenes in the dark (usually this practical problem is solved by indirect illumination). Leaves are particularly bright in the near IR, and if all visible light leaks from around an IR-filter are blocked, and

6240-472: The visible spectrum. Other definitions follow different physical mechanisms (emission peaks, vs. bands, water absorption) and the newest follow technical reasons (the common silicon detectors are sensitive to about 1,050 nm, while InGaAs 's sensitivity starts around 950 nm and ends between 1,700 and 2,600 nm, depending on the specific configuration). No international standards for these specifications are currently available. The onset of infrared

6320-486: The window in the winter. When placed in the path of admitted sunlight, high thermal mass features such as concrete slabs or trombe walls store large amounts of solar radiation during the day and release it slowly into the space throughout the night. When designed properly, this can modulate temperature fluctuations. Some of the current research into this subject area is addressing the tradeoff between opaque thermal mass for storage and transparent glazing for collection through

6400-412: The window since glass is opaque to those longer wavelengths. The trapped heat thus causes solar gain via a phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect . In buildings, excessive solar gain can lead to overheating within a space, but it can also be used as a passive heating strategy when heat is desired. Solar gain is most frequently addressed in the design and selection of windows and doors. Because of this,

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