The familiar silver coating, long used in the creation of mirrors, was the predecessor of a variety of silver-based coatings, developed for a multitude of modern uses. Silver’s superior reflectivity makes these coatings ideal for applications requiring diversion of thermal energy in the form of both heat and light.
Glass, coated with an invisible silver layer, is used to create windows that can reflect nearly 100% of the sun’s thermal energy, while still maintaining transparency. Commonly called “low E squared” glass, the panes are used to created double windows that not only reflect external heat from buildings, but are also capable of centralizing heat from within the structure. Polyester sheeting is used to retrofit existing windows. Millions of square feet of these products are used annually to generate energy savings in the US.
Crystals of silver halide are used in prescription eyeglasses to protect the eyes from solar radiation. Filtration and blockage of ultraviolet, and other harmful rays is accomplished by melting the crystals into eyeglass lenses.
