Windshield reflects sun -> cools car -> reduces aircon -> improves mpg!
Picture the scene - its a stinking hot day and you're glad the windows are up and the air conditioner is on. But what setting do you have the chill on? You know in the long run that it all adds up to more fuel burnt and money spent if that bad boy's set to deep freeze.
PPG Industries looks to have a new marketing campaign on their hands with the claim that their Sungate infrared (IR) reflective windshields keep cars cooler which increases vehicle fuel efficiency up to two to four percent. Two to four percent, or $66 per year saved in petrol, multiplied by every vehicle on the road and now you're talking about real money and a lot of oil. The Sungate IR-reflective windshield reflects about 50 percent of the sun's infrared energy which could see a reduction in air conditioning use of up to 20 percent.
Analysis: If I didn't burn my hands on the steering wheel when I hopped into my car on a hot day, I'd already be happy. If I avoided needing to use my air conditioning simply by keeping the vehicle cooler in the first place, then everyone wins.
Related:
[Source: PPG Industries]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tim 1:32PM (1/23/2007)
Here’s a paper titled “. Challenges and Potential Solutions for Reducing Climate Control Loads in Conventional and Hybrid Electric Vehicles.”
http://www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/ancillary_loads/pdfs/vtmsfinalsent.pdf
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Peter 3:11PM (1/23/2007)
The Tesla already has this! Read the sidebar on the left side of this page:
http://www.teslamotors.com/engineering/tech_specs.php
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Howard Lee Harkness 4:10PM (1/24/2007)
"If I didn't burn my hands on the steering wheel when I hopped into my car on a hot day, I'd already be happy." -- Dane Muldoon
That's easy enough. Pretty much any auto-parts store has a sunscreen for two or three dollars that you can put in your windshield to accomplish this. I've been using them for years. If you really want to get fancy, for about $20, you can set a solar-powered exhaust fan that mounts to your window.
Glad I could help...
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