Theoretical modelling and experimental evaluation of the optical properties of glazing systems with selective films

Transparent spectrally selective coatings and films on glass or polymeric substrates have becomequite common in energy-efficient buildings, though their experimental and theoretical characterizationis still not complete. A simplified theoretical model was implemented to predict the opticalproperties of multilayered glazing systems, including coating films, starting from the properties ofthe single components. The results of the simulations were compared with the predictions of acommercial simulation code which uses a ray tracing technique. Both models were validatedthanks to several measurements carried out with a spectrophotometer on single and doublesheet glazings with different films. Results show that both ray tracing simulations and thetheoretical model provide good estimations of optical properties of glazings with applied films,especially in terms of spectral transmittance.