Energy Effeciency and Skylights
The name of our company, FreeLite, originates from the 'miracle' property of white translucent acrylic that favors light over heat. That is, white acrylic transmits more light than heat. As long as the sun shines on the white acrylic dome, the light will be transmitted into the room evenly and constantly. This creates a soft cool light with minimal glare that brings out a rooms natural colors.
Transparent glazing with a view, whether it is bronze acrylic or low e* coated insulated glass, will let in more heat than light. Because the light from the sun travels through the transparent material with little obstruction, the intensity of the suns heat passes right through into the area below. This creates a traveling hot spot inside the room that heats up throughout the day. Plus, the amount of light that enters the room is greatly reduced whenever the sun is not directly over the skylight. If you insist on a view, only darkening will do, and you'll lose more light than save on heat.
If you give up the view, the light is freed using sufficiently pigmented white acrylic glazing, hence the name FreeLite. Adding a layer of diffusing white translucent acrylic always reduces more heat than light. Generally, if it's too bright, it's too hot, and if it's too hot, it's too bright. We guarantee the light to heat ratio of your choice with white acrylic glazing. FreeLite has successfully guaranteed free light since the late '70's with white acrylic glazing.
Here are some studies on the effects of different glazings and some of their properties: