General Question & Answers

1. What is V-KOOL®?

V-KOOL® is the world’s only clear, spectrally-selective applied film which transmits more than 70% of daylight while rejecting 99% of ultra-violet and 94% of infra-red heat. Spectrally-selective films have transparent, metallised coatings designed to transmit, reflect or absorb different wavelengths of the solar spectrum. In the case of V-KOOL®, it is designed specifically to be light transmitting while heat reflective.

2. What are the primary benefits of V-KOOL®?

V-KOOL® cuts down the sun’s heat while letting in maximum amount of natural light. Quantitatively, it blocks off 94% of heat transmitted from the infra-red rays and also rejects 99% of the harmful ultra-violet rays that cause fading, and damage the skin & the eye. At the same time, it allows your windows and glass surfaces to remain clear by transmitting over 70% of visible light. Whether you are a car or house owner, you will be able to feel the difference of a cooler environment once the glass is coated with V-KOOL®.

3. What competitive edge does V-KOOL® have over other products?

V-KOOL® is deisgned to replace retrofit tinted and reflective glazing or films and all other products that help control heat gain. Tinted glass or film cuts out the light while allowing infra-red transmission. Dark tints have high heat absorption rate that result in radiant heat and create thermal stress on the glass.

Reflective glass or film works by equally reflecting all wavelengths across the solar bandwidth. Hence, to obtain better solar control, the visible light transmission has to be reduced and the visible light reflectivity will increase. In addition, reflective glass or film creates the ‘one-way’ mirror effect under certain lighting conditions. This means that views through these windows at night will be obscured because of internal reflection. It also becomes a safety and security hazard when applied onto car windows.

V-KOOL® can be applied to most clear or tinted windows including insulated glass. Unlike other conventional films with high heat absorption rate which may cause thermal breakages, V-KOOL® has high heat reflection properties and is low on absorption rate.

4. Why is V-KOOL® more expensive than competitive films?

V-KOOL® cannot be compared to other competitive films because it is the only spectrally-selective coating in the world. Other films are classified as conventional films, meaning that they are either tinted or reflective films. Tinted films require significantly less sophisticated technology to produce, hence the costs is low. Conventional reflective films utilise conventional evaporative deposition technologies, adapted from the same technology used to coat the insides of common potato chip packages (or bags).

Instead of looking only the initial cost of V-KOOL®, you should consider its life cycle cost as well as other intangible benefits. While there is a premium associated with the purchase, V-KOOL® reduces air conditioning operating cost, reduces fading damage to draperies and furnishings, allows occupants to use floor space near windows even in direct sunlight because of increased comfort. Productivity and alertness are heightened in such comfort-enhanced environments. It is a long term cost-effective investment.

V-KOOL® is manufactured through multi-layered sputtering. The raw materials used and the high tech coating process which gives V-KOOL® its unique performance are costly. For instance, the product uses pure silver and indium oxide (even more costly than silver) to form the 7-layer V-KOOL® optical stack. These materials are deposited one layer at a timme onto a super clear polyster substrate (only the top 1% of all polyester that are produce daily in the world can meet our specifications) at a rate of 2m/min per layer. The custom built sputtering machine costs US$18 million. This is the same equipment used to deposit the radar evasive skin on the Stealth Bomber! As such, what you are getting is a deceptively clear looking V-KOOL® film, loaded with nothing but the best that tomorrow's technology can offer.

5. Can V-KOOL® be scratched?

V-KOOL® has passed the ASTM D-1044 Scratch Resistant Test. When subjected to 100 cycles of a taber abrader at 500 gms. square inch pressure of steel wool, the result is less than 4% haze.

6.How do I clean the window after V-KOOL® installation?

Normal cleaning is required. Do not use ammonia or alcohol based solution to clean windows. Just spray the coating with warm soapy water and wipe off lightly with a soft, clean cloth.

7. How long has V-KOOL® been on the market? What product testing and verification of data are there?

V-KOOL® was first installed in 1991 in the USA. Performance data were obtained using a Perkin-Elmer Lambda 9 Spectrophotometer in combination with the "Window 4.0 Fenestration Program" provided by the Windows and Daylighting Group at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories, the world's foremost window science group. It is also tested by Singapore Productivity and Standards Board (PSB), USA (DSET), Thailand (TISTR) and Malaysia (SIRIM), among others.