How Window Film Lowered Surface Temperatures at Rattler Stadium

The windows at San Marcos High School's Rattler Stadium were allowing a tremendous amount of sunlight and heat into the press and viewing areas, making the rooms uncomfortable, increasing the workload on the HVAC system, and damaging materials inside. Countertops and other surfaces were exposed to extremely high temperatures, while the adhesive used on some laminate finishes was beginning to fail.

The stadium needed a way to control the heat without sacrificing the clear view that made the space useful in the first place. Here's how we were able to help.

The Glass Was Amplifying The Sun's Heat

Large windows can create a substantial amount of solar heat gain when direct sunlight reaches interior surfaces for hours at a time. At Rattler Stadium, the thick glass appeared to intensify this effect, since during the initial site survey, the back of a chair near the windows registered 114°F. And a countertop in an untreated press box reached 107°F.

Mind you, those readings were taken in November. Central Texas was not yet experiencing its true, intense summer heat, but the rooms were already becoming hot enough to affect materials, equipment, and just general comfort. Which means, of course, during warmer months, the problem was likely to be bigger.

The stadium’s neighboring press boxes made the conditions especially easy to measure. Because the rooms sit directly beside one another and about the same amount of sun, one could be treated while the other worked as the control.

They Still Needed a Very Clear View of the Field

Blocking the windows or installing an extremely dark film might have reduced some of the incoming heat, but it would also have interfered with the primary purpose of the rooms.

And since most games are played at night, darkening the glass too much was a very real concern. It would be a problem if the film made it difficult to see outside once the stadium lights came on.

We selected Panorama Slate 40 window film for the project, which was chosen to significantly reduce solar heat gain and glare while maintaining the clear visibility during games.

The Temperature Difference Was Dramatic

After the film was installed, thermal imaging allowed the treated and untreated press boxes to be compared properly. The countertop behind the untreated glass measured 107°F. In the neighboring press box with Panorama Slate 40 installed, the comparable surface measured 85°F, a difference of 22 degrees.

The handrails showed a similar result. The untreated handrail reached 107°F, while the filmed one measured 87°F.

Sunlight passing through glass can heat individual surfaces to temperatures way above the room’s thermostat setting. Those surfaces then release heat back into the space, which in turn makes the HVAC system work harder to maintain any kind of comfort.

On top of that, high surface temperatures can also shorten the life of finishes, adhesives, furnishings, and other materials that are  near the windows.

Another Heat Problem Solved

For Rattler Stadium, window film addressed the source of the heat without covering the windows, replacing the glass, or compromising nighttime visibility. The side-by-side thermal images make the result particularly clear. In two nearly identical spaces exposed to the same November sun, the treated room remained noticeably cooler.

Because when surfaces are already exceeding 100°F before summer arrives, a difference of 20 degrees or more is not difficult to feel.