Presenting ‘Cool’ Auto Glass!

While the new technology is presenting its inventions to the world, the automobile industry is also showing us their progress with keeping up with the technology. One of the inventions is ‘cool’ auto glass.

Since the summer is adding more and more degrees to help us sweat, the new concept of ‘cool’ auto glass is not a bad idea at all. The state Air Resources Board is also suggesting that this new invention could help us spend our summer cooler.

The federal studies found that the ‘cool’ auto glass could cut the inside temperature of car that is parked in the sun by about 12 degrees cooler, compare to the standard windows that are used in our vehicles today.

Keeping the interior temperature cool could actually help save our environment, because cooler temperature inside means less use of air conditioners. The new invention does not stop here. Less use of air conditioners also means less fuel consumption. The study shows that about 5.5 percent of America’s fuel, about 7 billion gallons of gas, goes to air conditioners.

There are two ways for the sun to transfer its energy. One way of transferring its energy is visible light waves. Stopping this form of energy is not practical, since blocking the visible light only means that the driver will not able to see out.

However, there is another form of heat transfer which is invisible ‘near-infrared’ waves. This form of wave is the answer to our ‘cool auto glass’. The creation of the new auto glass combines the thin layer of silver and other metal forms between the layers of the windshield, thus reflecting almost all infrared waves and keeping the inside temperature down.

According to Air Resources Board, the price involved in this project was estimated only about $111 per vehicle. The money that would be spent for new windshields would soon be exceeded by the cost of gas that you would be saving in a year or two.

However, the change will not take place overnight. The automobile companies and glass producers demand for more time required to take this change on their side and make adjustments.

The state California would be the first one to adjust to the new glass. However, if the change goes well, it will move on to the other states. And as for us drivers in California, let’s hope that the ‘cool’ windshield could visit us sooner to help us add -12 degree to the blazing summer temperature.