Comparison of methods to determine the solar heat gain coefficient of glazing

Abstract Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) is a thermal property of glass and transparent elements, defined as the ratio between the amount of solar energy that passes through the glass and the amount of solar energy that reaches it. SHGC can be determined using mathematical models, computer simulations, or field and laboratory measurements. This paper compares the methods for obtaining the SHGC, which include laboratory measurements using a portable calorimeter, computer simulation using the WINDOW software and calculated according to ISO 9050 standard. Two solar control glasses and one clear glass, used as a reference, were selected. The SHGCs obtained using laboratory measurements were lower than those obtained using the other methods due to the solar simulator and equipment limitations. Despite this, there was a good approximation of the behaviour of the glasses regarding the increase in air velocity. The heat transfer coefficient on the exterior surface was fixed, so the SHGC obtained for each glass based on ISO 9050 remains the same, regardless of the air velocity. The SHGC results based on ISO 9050 were similar to those measured by means of a portable calorimeter under conditions of higher air velocities.