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Do Sun Shades Help?

James H. Sterling • • 6 min read
Do Sun Shades Help?

The short answer is yes. Car sunshades do work in reducing the overall temperature inside your vehicle. The traditional reflective models work by reflecting the sun's solar rays

solar rays
Direct sunlight has a luminous efficacy of about 93 lumens per watt of radiant flux. Multiplying the figure of 1050 watts per square meter by 93 lumens per watt indicates that bright sunlight provides an illuminance of approximately 98 000 lux (lumens per square meter) on a perpendicular surface at sea level.
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and harmful UV rays while non-reflective shades absorb them. Some tests have shown a decrease in interior temperature of 30 degrees or more.

Are sun shades worth it?

So keeping the temperature down within your interior will help protect materials from breaking down and reduce off gassing. With that being said, a cheap sunshade can certainly help keeping these two issues at bay. It can protect one's health, keeps a vehicle looking good, and maintains it's value.

How much do sun shades help?

A windshield shade can lower the internal temperature of your car by up to 40 degrees. Warm the interior in winter. The best car window shade can also help during cold winter days. Some products feature heat-absorbing materials that can actually increase the temperature inside your vehicle on sunny winter days.

James H. Sterling
Author

James H. Sterling

James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.