Low E windows
FXSTer
19 years ago
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19 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Low-e Windows Effect on Plants
Comments (47)Low e will certainly effect plant growth. Ultraviolet Light (UV) Ultraviolet light is comprised of three different wavelength ranges of light. UVC (200-280nm) has the shortest wavelength and most energy, but is potentially the most stressful to plants and human skin causing sunburn and can be very damaging to human eyes. Fortunately, for humans and plants atmospheric absorption eliminates the majority of UVC shortwave light. no need for a window film to block it. UVB (280-315nm) has a short wavelength, high energy and also causes sunburn in humans and plants. UVB is known to damage protein and nucleic acids in plant cells, causing decreased metabolism and decreased number of flowers. UVB can have positive effects as well.. A plant responds to the stress and sunburn from UVB wavelengths, by creating it’s own sunscreen in the form of trichomes and cretinoid. Exposure to UVB radiation is also known to reduce a plants biomass, plant height and leaf area, but increase leaf thickness. lack of UVB causes leggy plants. Finally, UVA and near ultraviolet light (315-400nm) has the longest wavelengths of UV light and can be very beneficial to plant development. Wavelengths in the UVA spectral range are included in the absorption spectrum, particularly in the 380nm range. The absorption spectrum is the range of wavelengths of light that are absorbed by green chlorophyll for photosynthesis. Additionally, research has shown that exposing plants to UVA light can also inhibit mold growth and fungal development. Far-Red and Infrared Light On the far end of the spectrum (>700nm) you find far-red and infrared wavelengths of light. Far-red and infrared light have very long wavelengths, and very little energy. Infrared wavelengths are not visible to the human eye and only can be felt as heat. We know that blue and red light is optimal for plant development, but research conducted in 1957 has shown that combining blue light and red light with far-red/infrared light (700-760nm), led to an increased rate of photosynthesis due to the Emerson effect. The protein Phytochrome is the only known receptor that is sensitive to far-red/infrared wavelengths. Plants use Phytrochrome to regulate when a plant is to switch from vegetation state to flowering, and the time of flowering, due to the length of daylight or exposure to artificial light. The appropriate amounts of far-red and infrared light can also be a very effective at promoting robust stem growth, proper node spacing, and more flowers and fruit. Too much IR radiation can also be an issue because to a plant the majority of IR radiation is felt as heat. consider the amount of light (PAR or PPFD) needed to successfully grow your plants. then decide if low e is sufficient for you. It may lack certain lighting requirements....See MoreLowE windows 272 or 366
Comments (7)It sounds like the 266 is better for you. But it all really depends on orientation, climate, shade etc. There is no one answer. Even mixing windows on a house might be a good idea. The Midwest is a large area - could be Minn - could be St Louis. You might have a/c or you might not and are willing to spend some money so that you can continue to live without a/c. If you are predominately cold - then obviously a little more solar heat gain is a good idea. U value becomes the most important. If you have some heat - then low solar heat gain is important if you are unshaded and the windows get sun in the summer. I live in mixed and my North windows never get direct sunlight - SHG doesn't really matter there. Now my West windows - it would make sense to pay for less SHG. And generally in South windows, a higher SHG is a good idea to maximize winter heat gain. So the answer depends on too many things to say one is better than the other. But in the midwest, you probably want relatively more SHG. Not a simple subject and you would hope that your builder would have some guidance in your particular situation. If not your builder, then some energy consultant. It seems like an energy consultant (like Energy Star) should almost be standard on new construction since a lot of builders don't seem to care....See MoreLow e windows and green tint: Solarban 60 or Low-e 180?
Comments (5)Go here: https://www.energystar.gov/products/building_products/residential_windows_doors_and_skylights Click 'Buying Guidance'. Click 'Determine your Energy Star Climate Zone'. Enter your state and zip code. Your Energy Star climate zone, U-factor, and SHGC will appear for windows and doors. Make sure that the windows and doors you select meet the Energy Star criteria. You can search for windows and doors in your climate zone here (http://essearch.nfrc.org/) but it gets complicated fast. It's best to decide what types of windows and doors you want and contact local resellers. Example manufacturers and products: Marvin Essential Provia...See MoreHelp! Low-E windows changing wall paint colors
Comments (19)I posted a follow-up on the other thread where I commented and decided to post here for anyone else who does a search for problems from the green reflected light from Low-E glass. This is a long post but it captures the relevant information about what I tried to eliminate the green. PART I: Our great room faces west and has three large patio windows (8' tall and 12' wide) made of Low-E glass which cast a green light inside the house. The ceiling height in the dining nook and by the patio doors is 10', and with the vaulted ceiling is app. 13' at the highest point in the middle of the room. Outside the great room, is a covered patio which is about 10' high. Since I know how hard it may be to track what I described, I included our floorplan showing where the sun is in the afternoon. As the light enters the room the color changes. In the morning, the great room looks grey and dingy so I leave the warm 3000K LED lights on. In the afternoon, on the wall with the door to the laundry/garage (yellow arrow), from floor level to about 8', Creamy is light creamy yellow with a greenish hue. And then, from 8'-13' it looks less green and has more of a sickly grey tinge. On the wall in the kitchen (the other yellow arrow) the color is darker but has the same green look to it. I invited our new painter over so that he could see what I've been talking about since I'm trying to decide which is the best color for this space. I showed him the wall directly across from the patio doors (yellow arrow). He said he could sort of see what I meant about the wall color looking like it has a hint of green Then I opened the patio door, all the natural light flooded in and the color was much brighter - the way that I expected Creamy to be. He was shocked, saying he'd never before seen the color of walls change as much. So, it's not just the paint color. It is the color, the light(s), the direction of the sun and, in our case, the Low-E glass. PART II: So now that I know that the Low-E glass we chose is definitely casting a green on our rug, furniture and walls. I've been trying other colors that are still light and bright without picking up the green. I tried SW Panda White, but it still had the dingy green/grey. Then I tried SW Downy and it is nearly identical to SW Panda White but has a bit more pink or peach. But it doesn't look pink/peach. It is also not nearly as muddy, dingy or green as Panda White. And it actually looks Creamy!...See MoreFXSTer
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