Solar Protection
A worldwide market leader in solar protection for 40 years now, Mermet Performance Sunscreen fabrics use a combination of high performing Enduris® fibreglass core yarn and polyester to minimise heat and glare.
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A new performance standard is being set by Mermet’s unique, patented KOOLBLACK™ Technology, which increases the energy efficiency of dark sunscreen fabrics to levels comparable with light colours. KOOLBLACK™ delivers reduced cooling costs and improved comfort, with the glare control and view-through of a conventional dark screen fabric.
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How Turnils Collage Fabrics Help
What is solar Protection?
Solar protection takes into account thermal and optical factors, which allow us to measure the solar protection performance of a fabric.
Thermal factors relate to the amount of solar energy (heat) penetrating the fabric and provides a guide as to how well the fabric will perform in keeping the interior warm in winter and cool in summer.
Optical factors relate to the amount of light a fabric lets through. Exposure to natural light is necessary for the human body to function, yet glare needs to be controlled and our eyes need to be protected from harmful UV rays.
Mermet fabrics protect against both heat and glare.
Thermal Factors
Thermal factors include values such as:
Solar Transmittance (Ts) - which measures the proportion of solar energy transmitted through the fabric
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Solar Reflectance (Rs) - which measures the proportion of solar radiation reflected by the fabric
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Solar Absorptance (As) - which measures the proportion of solar radiation absorbed by the fabric
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Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) - which indicates how effective a fabric is at filtering the heat from solar radiation
As a general rule, a high performing solar protection fabric has low Ts and As values, while it performs high in the Rs value, reflecting most of the solar energy.
Currently over 40% of emissions of greenhouse gases are released by building heating and air conditioning systems. In order to avoid irreversible climate change, it is necessary to reduce this output by improving the thermal performance of buildings – which can be achieved through the use of high performing Mermet sunscreen fabrics.
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Optical Factors
Natural light is essential to sustain human life and it governs a number of endocrinal functions, as well as regulates sleep and the body’s water balance. It also improves the working conditions experienced by employees and therefore can help increase productivity. The following optical factors need to be considered when choosing a Mermet Performance Sunscreen fabric.
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Visible Transmittance (Tv) measures the percentage of visible light coming through the fabric that can be seen by the naked eye and is related to the amount of light (brightness) a person receives through a glazing system. The Openness Factor (Of) measures the proportion of holes in a woven fabric, which determines the degree of visibility and heat and glare control that the fabric offers.
Mermet Performance Sunscreen fabrics have excellent glare control properties due to their various openness factors and weaves and can filter up to 95% of UV rays.