Which Automotive Glazing Makes Me Feel More Comfortable

We have used a sensory comparison technique to evaluate the effectiveness of different automotive glazings in reducing the heat experienced from direct irradiation of the skin by sunlight. Three categories of single sheet glass have been evaluated: clear, standard, and solar absorbing.

The data are consistent with laboratory measurements on the solar transmittance of the glasses and with Weber's Law for human sensitivity to differences in radiant heat. People cannot distinguish between two glasses unless the relative difference in total solar transmittance is at least 10%.