3M Prestige PR70 Window Film

The building manager of an office building in Sydney’s CBD approached Paragon with this growing problem. It is often seen in commercial buildings and also residential apartments governed by strict strata guidelines and body corporate rulings.

Problem

Several tenants were complaining of heat and glare problems most of the year round. This was intensified in summer where the buildup of heat in some areas was unbearable and resulted in lost productivity. It also meant that the extensive views from the building could not be seen, as the blinds were permanently drawn in an effort to combat the heat. A recent service of the air conditioning system verified that the air conditioning was running at full capacity, but in the hotter months could not keep up with the constant heat entering the building through the windows in certain areas.

The owners of the building did not want to change the external look of the building, and also wanted to apply film only to the levels of the building which actually had the issues. Traditional window films are either dark or highly reflective and also change the external appearance of the building giving a ‘patchwork’ effect if some areas are tinted and other areas not.

Solution

3M Prestige PR70 film was the obvious choice as it uses innovative multi-layer optical film technology, to provide a window film product with a clear appearance and a host of advantages. Enhanced on angle performance, high IR reduction, superior clarity, along with no chance of corrosion and no signal interference are among the benefits. 3M Prestige PR70 film gives low reflectivity along with an optimized balance of performance and natural light. While essentially not changing the external appearance of the building, it reduces 97% of Infrared Heat which accounts for 50% of all heat, 23% of glare and 99.98% of UV rays.

The 3M Prestige Series marks a significant technological advancement in how window films can enhance buildings and homes. Residential and commercial property owners now have a high performance clear window film that combines all the benefits of heavily-tinted or reflective films, without the inherent drawbacks of darkened rooms or mirrored windows. Prestige films actually have 1% higher reflectivity than the glass they cover, so the appearance of your building is virtually unchanged.

Paragon performed the installation (248 windows over 3 levels) in a way which resulted in virtually no disruption to the existing staff in a straight-forward and trouble free installation. The results were immediately noticeable with some staff noting that it was almost too cold and the air conditioner had to be adjusted to a lower level! With the air conditioning running at a lower level, the savings in energy costs would genuinely be substantial.