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There Is More To Light Than Meets The Eye
The visible spectrum of light is only part of what the sun radiates through your window. Glare is caused by visible light diffusing in all directions off of reflective surfaces. Everything from glossy surfaces to dirty windows can cause visible light to bounce around causing glare.
In addition to visible light, there is ultraviolet light which causes fading and damage to interior furnishings as well as harm to human skin. While this spectrum of light cannot be seen by the naked eye, the damage it causes becomes obvious over time.
Infrared light is the portion of the sunlight spectrum that causes heat. In the winter, this light is welcome as as source of free heat, but in warmer months it causes the consumption of enormous amounts of energy to power air conditioning.
Ordinary window shades do not manage light they eliminate it. This is kind of like trying to control traffic by closing the road. It is an “all-or-nothing” proposition. When a shade blocks light, there are consequences:
- you lose the ability to see through the shade
- the shade actually absorbs heat from the sunlight and radiates heat in the room
- you loose visible light making it necessary to use artificial light (and energy) to see
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