U-Value vs. R-Value? Solar Heat Gain vs. Visible Light Transmittance?

I help architects and builders navigate these tradeoffs when selecting luxury hurricane glazing systems, offering unbiased insights across manufacturers.

A few key concepts:

• U-Value and R-Value are mathematical reciprocals.
  Divide 1 by the U-Value to get the R-Value.

• Spectrally selective Low-E coatings block infrared (heat) while allowing visible light, but may reflect more green unless low-iron or grey-tinted glass is used.

• The Low-E coating location (e.g. surface 2 vs. surface 3) impacts both performance and appearance—changing how reflective the glass looks from the outside and how color appears on the inside.

If you’re designing for high performance and aesthetic precision, these small details make a big difference. I offer training and project guidance with no dealer bias.