The percentage of total visible light that transfers through the film and glass to the interior. This may be slightly impacted by the type of glass you have. The lower the number the darker it is

The percentage of total visible light that is reflected by the film off the exterior surface of a window. The higher this number, the more light is reflected. If glare is your major concern this is an important performance stat. This is a major component that helps to determine the glare produced by a window. Most non-tinted dual pane windows can reflect up to 10 percent of visible light. As you add higher quality window tint – that is intended to increase VLR, window glare is reduced.

The percentage of total solar energy that is rejected by the film. This is a rating that measures the window tints ability to block the three effects produced by solar energy including – UVA and UVB, visible light, and infrared radiation (IR). Essentially, it’s the overall rating that describes the power of window film.

The easiest way to summarize TSER is think of it as a calculation of VLT x IRR x UVLR. Although this is not the calculation it is pretty close. If you pay attention a film may have an incredibly high IRR and UVLR but the TSER is middle of the pack. Once you see the VLT is 70 or 85 you realize it is because it is allowing lots of visible light (not necessarily anything to do with heat) in the building which results in a mid tier TSER. So while this is the overall rating of the film it is critical to look at other factors such as VLT before concluding the overall quality. Also the U value may not be that great because the film has a high heat rejection factors but is not meant to retain heat. So it is crucially important to weigh what benefits you want most and talk to a professional before choosing your film.

The amount of solar Infrared radiation that is prevented from passing through the film. Essentially It’s a type of radiant energy that is not visible to human eyes, but we feel as ‘heat’. When a window tint is referred to as an IR window tint or some one discusses it’s IR %. It means the film is intended to reflect heat from the protected window. This prohibits infrared or heat from penetrating the glass, and thus – keeps the inside of the residence or business cooler. IR window tint provides exceptional heat rejection properties. If heat rejection is your main concern this is a phenominal stat to pay attention to.

The ratio of solar heat gain through the tint over the total solar heat gain that occurs under the same conditions. The shading coefficient is a mathematical representation of the amount of heat passing through a tinted window compared to the heat passing through the clear, untinted glass. The higher the shading coefficient, the more light will pass through the tinted window. Conversely, a low shading coefficient means that the window tint will block out more light. Another way to say it, A ratio derived from dividing the amount of solar heat gain passed through the window film by the same amount that occurs through a normal, untinted window. The lower the number, the better the solar properties of the window film.

The percentage of solar energy that either is directly transmitted or absorbed and then re-radiated into the building. A ratio derived from dividing the amount of solar heat gain passed through the window film by the amount of heat transmitted at normal solar incidence (completely perpendicular to the glass). The lower the number, the better the solar properties of the window film.

The percentage of total ultraviolet light that is reflected by the tint. UV light rejection refers to the amount of ultraviolet light blocked by a window film. The greater the UV rejection, the more reliable the UV window film. This is particularly important, as UVA and UVB radiation have been implicated in skin cancer development.

Ratio of the difference in visible transmission of the glass before and after installing the film. Glare Reduction is the opposite of VLT or the amount of visible light that is rejected by a substrate. In the case of window tint, the combination of the glass and the tint produces a total reflectance. But it is simply going to be the inverse stat for VLT.

The amount of conductive heat energy (BTUs) transferred through 1 square foot of tint for each 1 degree Fahrenheit difference between the indoor and outdoor air. More simply, the U-Value tells you how well the window insulates, though this will depend on the season and your climate. During the winter months, heat will transfer from the inside to the outside. A lower U-Value means that the windows offer more excellent insulation. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that the U-Value tends to be between 0.2 to 1.20. For our climate low SHGC (<0.27) and low U-Value (<0.6) are recommended.