Bronze Low E VS Obscure

Question

I am deciding on new glass for my window, with a goal of keeping light out. Is there a big difference between bronze low e glass and obscure glass in terms of light blockage?

Answer 1

Tinted glass such as bronze glass affects light transmittance and changes the light that comes through.

Low-E glass (low emissivity) is used to reduce the radiance of infrared energy which keeps heat on the side of the glass where the heat originated.

Obscure glass is patterned glass and does not have a direct influence in light, but more of an influence on visibility.

None of those are mutually exclusive with one another. Comparing them isn't quite straightforward because you can have tinted obscure glass.

• If you want to reduce visibility both ways go for an obscure pattern.
• If you want to reduce visibility on one side use a reflective tint.
• If you want to reduce thermal transfer use Low-E.
• If you want to change the level of visible light transferred use a tint.

There are a great number of tints that all have different traits to them, each combination of tints and coatings vary based on application.