For a really low SHGC cooeffiecient the glass will be dark. And this glass will be dark and slightly reflective if memory serves correctly.

Where is the home and why do you think you need this glass schedule?

This is in NC and we have huge amounts of window area on the west-facing side of the house. Just don't want to bake in the summer sun.

Are you just looking to change the glass or the whole window?

Cardinal Glass Data

Still sounds a tiny be overkill to me to be honest. NC is not Arizona and the sun is not as strong. Standard Low-e and definitely Low-e 366 do a fantastic job or regulating solar heat (especially when compared to clear glass) and don't make for that dark a window. A VT of 39 is pretty darn dark.

I would never allow the appearance of my house to have tinted reflective windows. Can't imagine what that does for resale. All you have to do is get the more standard LoE 366, or even LoE272 would do the job, and get attractive sheer or semi-sheer blinds that are light filtering. Much softer prettier look, is adjustable to the time of day and the seasons, and better for resale.

Thanks everyone. I found the whole window specs of the windows I am interested in. With the 340 in dual pane, SHGC is .17 and VT 26%. In the triple pane (340-clear-180), SHGC is .15 and VT 23%. I think that is just too dark for the view. The 366 triple pane has an SHGC of .17 and VT of 38% with dual pane at .19 and 43%. I think that might be a good compromise. (notice how I deftly sidestepped a Panda attack!).

Friedajune--the very last thing on my mind is resale. It's not a factor.

"Friedajune--the very last thing on my mind is resale. It's not a factor."

Well, resale will be a factor eventually, if not for you, then for your heirs.

Regardless, I stand by my advice that a tinted reflective set of windows on your NC house will make it odd-looking and unattractive. Add to that the fact that even LoE272 would be fine. You appear to be getting infatuated with your numbers analyses, and it's all you are thinking about. Are houses in the area common with this kind of window treatment? If not, why do you think?

Yes, I am very focused on numbers. That is an objective way to look at my purchasing decisions. What other houses are doing in my area doesn't mean a thing to me. If so, I would have a ventilated crawlspace, leaky walls with fiberglass batts, shaky foundations, cheap windows and doors, wet basement, etc.

Are you quoting whole unit VT numbers above or glass? If glass numbers, your numbers are off. I am going to guess that you are talking whole unit based on SHGC numbers you are seeing. A drop from a VT of 65 on the glass to a VT of 43 on the unit is a pretty big drop. Those must be some hefty frames or have grids. We typically see a drop of 17 points on a VT from glass to total unit.

WoW--yes, those are whole unit numbers listed on the website.

That is a pretty dark unit on its own. I certainly, for me, wouldn't put the 340 glass in there if it was my home. NC climate really isn't that harsh.

I agree WoW--too dark with the 340. The 366-clear-180 combo looks to be a much better choice.

I realize this is an older thread, but hoping some of you who've responded may still be active...was interested in the comparisons myself. We are buying a home in Arizona and are debating the 340 glass. There are several homes in the area with it on and it has a bluish tint from the outside looking at the windows. I don't like this and was thinking of not putting on the one window we have facing the front. The other factor is how dark does it really looks when inside. Considering we are in AZ vs the northeast where its not as bright and sunny every day ...is it noticeably darker?

You might want to ask about availability of Quad LoE-452 as an alternative to LoE-340. LoE-452 isn't as dark as 340 and it is much more neutral vs the distinct blue of the 340.

I know I'm late to the party here however I sold thermal replacement windows in Western NC for 13 years. Triple pane windows are overkill and not needed in NC---neither in Western or Easter Carolina. Triple pane windows are designed for EXTREME temp areas such as extreme Northern states or AZ/NV. Any window dealer will sell you triple pane, if you are willing to pay for it, but it's not needed. Just my dimes worth of info.

I have both 366 and 340 glass windows. Not mixed on same side. Also have a wall of west windows on front of house. The 340 on west is great. Especially here in texas where the old aluminum frame windows could hit 150 degrees with an insulating curtain on the inside. I will say we have pink brick and blue gray trim and the blue tint looks great. The 366 green tint would look odd and clash with the cool colors. We used 366 on north and east sides where we wanted more light coming in. Because of the architecture of the house no one notices the mix of window glass.

There are several NC houses mentioned in this thread, which is where we are building also. What glass did y'all get in NC? Or what would other readers here recommend for central NC? 366, 272, or something else?

I am getting windows put in and it was suggested to get g 340 i don’t know what that is.. i know it will be darker coating outside and reflect more heat?
i live in Ca foothills we get up to 102/3 for sometimes a week or two .. it’s like a microwave sometimes.. I am getting retro upgrades , but resale may be an issue

Echoing some of what was said earlier in the thread, LoE³-340 has a SHGC of .18 versus .27 with 366, and 340 blocks 98% of UV light (fading) with a visible light transmittance of 39%, meaning that it blocks a lot of solar heat and glare and visible light.

While LoE³-340 is pretty much unsurpassed in a solar control application, in order to reach those performance values the coating is tuned to blue when looking from outside in. The interior color is more of a copper or bronze that isn't really noticeable when it's bright outside, but might be when it's dark outside and you are looking at light reflecting inside the house.

My experience is that people who KNOW what they are getting are either okay with the color, or in some cases really like it, but I wouldn't want to surprise someone with 340 on their new windows who doesn't know about the color.

This is a picture of 340 blue reflecting from a sheet of white paper. You can also see the copper color around the edges.

And while the colors in this picture are enhanced because of the white paper over black background, reflected light, and glass angle, when installed the coating is very noticeably blue.

Like I said earlier, some people absolutely love the blue tint and I have no doubt some people definitely do not, but it works as advertised. If you want maximum solar control through glass, this could be your best choice.

Thanks Oberon for the detailed response. Much appreciated. I guess I would also have to check with my HOA. I could use that extra layer it gets so hot in my room

You're welcome. Agree you might want to talk to HOA first.

We have texas west facing windows and did 340 glass with AWS energy core windows and love it. We got more light in since we got rid of the 90% light blocking solar screens. The blue looks good against pink brick and grey trim in picture below. The 366 has a green tint and would have looked bad. Another advantage is if you have different window covering styles (e.g., blinds, shades, etc) on the windows it helps to hide the differences. The blue mirror gives more privacy during the day as well. Also with large windows the lower amount of light coming in is not as noticeable.