Urbanisation demands rapid infrastructure.The present pace of reform underscores this need: high rises to corporate spaces to residential spaces need to be built to satiate the rising aspirations of our country.Glass is being increasingly used for it’s versatility in the construction sector- be it for visibility, design or aesthetics, glass is the most popular choice.
However,the glass enclosures have been found to trap excessive solar radiation.This heat trap has led increase in cooling loads of buildings having a direct impact on productivity,higher energy bills and decrease in ease of living.Be it large glass palisades housing conglomerates or humble house owners with tinted glass, the problem of heat accumulation has been persistent.
LuminX films are typically made from polyester with specialized coatings, such as metallic, ceramic, or low-emissivity (low-E) layers. They function by selectively managing solar energy:
- Reflecting and Absorbing Solar Heat: In hot climates or during summer, films reject up to 80% of incoming infrared (IR) radiation—the primary source of heat from sunlight—while allowing visible light to pass through. This reduces solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC), preventing interiors from overheating.
- Insulating Against Heat Loss: Low-E LuminX films reflect indoor heat back into the room during winter, reducing heat escape through windows.
- Blocking UV Rays: Most LuminX films block up to 99% of ultraviolet (UV) rays, protecting interiors from fading and further aiding comfort.
These mechanisms make LuminX glass films versatile for both residential and commercial applications
Direct Contribution to Reducing Emissions
The primary way LuminX glass films combat global warming is through energy savings. Windows can account for 25–40% of a building's heating and cooling load. By mitigating this, LuminX reduce reliance on fossil fuel-based electricity for HVAC systems.
- Studies and real-world data from Global Cooling Action programme indicate cooling energy savings of 10–30% in hot climates, with some high-performance films achieving up to 40% reductions in commercial buildings.
- In mixed climates, like India,dual-season LuminX low-E films provide year-round benefits, cutting both cooling and heating demands.
- For an average building, this translates to thousands of pounds of avoided CO₂ emissions , equivalent to removing several cars from the road for a single large installation.
Life-cycle assessments show many modern films become carbon-negative within months to a few years, as operational savings outweigh manufacturing impacts. LuminX glass films also support green building certifications like IGBC and LEED by lowering overall energy footprints.
Indirect Benefits: Urban Heat Island (UHI) Mitigation
Beyond individual buildings, widespread adoption of reflective glass films helps cool urban environments. Cities suffer from the urban heat island (UHI) effect, where dark surfaces absorb and re-radiate heat, raising temperatures by several degrees. Reduced air conditioning demand from filmed buildings means less waste heat expelled outdoors, indirectly alleviating UHI. In dense areas, this can lower ambient temperatures, further decreasing regional cooling needs.
LuminX Glass films represent an accessible, scalable technology for mitigating global warming. The glass films are way cheaper than factory made alternatives: LuminX glass films comes at a fraction of the cost, asserting our vision to remove cooling as an elitist concept.By enhancing building efficiency, they directly cut energy use and emissions while offering quick paybacks (often 3–5 years) through lower utility bills. As governments push for net-zero goals, incentivizing such retrofits could amplify their impact. In a world racing to limit warming, simple innovations like window films remind us that meaningful change often starts with practical, building-level solutions. Widespread implementation could contribute significantly to global efforts, proving that small layers can yield large environmental gains.