Solar screens
Solar screens vs window tint
Solar screens stop sunlight outside the glass and can be taken down for winter, while window film is glued to the glass, stays on all year and, per the U.S. Department of Energy, can void some window warranties. In a heating-dominated city like Reno, that removability is a real advantage for screens, while film wins where you want a clear, unchanged look.
Updated · A-Affordable Screen, Sparks
Two different ways to stop the sun
A solar screen is a tightly woven solar screen fabric in an aluminum frame that mounts on the outside of the window. Sunlight hits the fabric first, so much of the heat is absorbed or reflected before it reaches the glass.
Window film, often called tint, is a thin polyester layer glued to the glass itself, usually on the inside surface. The U.S. Department of Energy describes films as having 'an adhesive layer that sits against the glass, a polyester film layer, and a scratch-resistant coating,' and says they help block solar heat gain and protect against glare and ultraviolet exposure.
Both are aimed at the same problem. DOE notes that 'In cooling seasons, about 76% of sunlight that falls on standard double-pane windows enters to become heat.' The question is where you stop it, and whether you want to stop it all year.
Where the heat gets stopped matters
Shading on the outside of a window generally beats shading on the inside because the heat never gets into the glass. DOE's Energy Saver guidance calls exterior shutters and shades 'most effective at reducing solar heat gain,' and a 2024 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory handout on home shading ranks exterior-mounted solutions as providing 'the highest protection from solar heat.'
Film works at the glass. A good film can still make a big difference, and its performance is published: DOE notes that films are rated by the National Fenestration Rating Council, whose label lists the solar heat gain coefficient (lower blocks more heat) and visible transmittance (higher lets in more daylight). If you are comparing films, ask to see that label.
Reading the specs on each
The two products are rated in different terms, which is why shoppers often find them hard to compare. Film is described with an NFRC label. Solar screen fabric is described by its openness factor, the share of the weave that is open, and by the maker's own figures for heat, glare, UV and visible light.
Phifer, a large fabric maker, lists its SunTex 90 weave at an openness factor of about 10 percent and its 80 weave at about 25 percent, with visible light through the fabric of roughly 18 to 20 percent and 36 to 39 percent respectively. Our 80 vs 90 percent guide walks through those numbers. With film, compare the SHGC and visible transmittance on the label. With screens, compare openness and hold a sample up to your own window, because the view through a weave is easier to judge by eye than by number.
The winter question in a heating climate
Here is where Reno-Sparks differs from Phoenix or Las Vegas. NOAA's 1991-2020 normals for Reno-Tahoe International Airport show about 4,669 heating degree days a year and only about 1,038 cooling degree days. Heating season is much longer than cooling season.
DOE's own advice on films reflects that: 'They are best used in climates with long cooling seasons, because they also block the sun's heat in the winter.' Film cannot be switched off in December. Screens can come down in fall and go back up in late spring, which lets low winter sun warm south-facing rooms. Our winter guide covers how to decide which windows to leave up.
The same logic appears in DOE's film guidance on direction: 'East- and west-facing windows, because of their greater potential for heat gain, can benefit more from these films. North-facing windows won't benefit from them, and south-facing windows may benefit somewhat, but the benefit could be offset by the reduction of heat from the winter sun.' That advice applies just as well to deciding where to put screens.
Your windows and their warranty
Many Reno-Sparks homes have double-pane insulated glass, and plenty of those windows are still under a manufacturer warranty. DOE warns that tinted films that mainly absorb solar radiation 'can damage insulated glazing unit (IGU) seals,' and that 'most window manufacturers will void their warranties if the film is installed on an IGU.' If your windows are still under warranty, read it before anyone applies film. A solar screen never touches the glass, so this concern does not apply.
Census figures show how common newer windows are here. In ZIP 89521 in South Reno, about 76 percent of homes were built in 2000 or later, and in Spanish Springs the median home was built in 2002 (ACS 2020-2024). Many of those homes have double-pane glass, and some of it may still be covered by the original window warranty.
Side-by-side
| Solar screens | Window film (tint) | |
|---|---|---|
| Looks from outside | A dark fabric panel over each window | Nearly invisible, or a tinted or mirrored sheen |
| View from inside | Slightly softened, more so with a 90 percent weave | Clear |
| Insects | Also works as an insect screen on an opening window | No help with bugs |
| Winter | Removable for the heating season | Stays on the glass all year |
| Care | Hose off and brush | DOE notes films 'require extra care for cleaning' |
| Wear | Worn fabric can be replaced in the same frame by rescreening | Worn film has to be scraped off |
| Privacy | Daytime privacy that reverses at night with lights on | Daytime privacy that reverses at night with lights on |
Reno's afternoon wind and summer sun work on both. See our Washoe Zephyr guide for how screens are fastened for wind.
Low-E glass changes the math a little
Some newer windows already carry a Low-E coating, a thin layer on the glass that reduces heat passing through. A window with Low-E glass is already doing part of the job film would do, which is one more reason to check the window's label or paperwork before adding film.
A solar screen adds shade in front of whatever glass you have, Low-E or not, and comes off in winter. On a west slider with Low-E glass, a screen still stops the direct afternoon sun from reaching the glass and the floor behind it.
When tint may be the better choice
Film makes sense on fixed picture windows high on a wall where a screen is hard to mount, on glass where a clear view is the whole point, on storefronts that must show merchandise, and on windows that never open and do not need insect protection. Some homes use both: film on a large fixed window and screens on the operable windows around it. If you go that way, ask the film installer for the NFRC label and your window maker's written position on film before work starts.
When screens usually make more sense
Screens fit well on west and east windows that overheat, on sliders and windows you open on cool evenings, on double-pane glass under warranty, and anywhere you want the option to let winter sun back in. Reno's summer nights make that last point practical: NOAA's normals show a daily range of about 33 degrees in June through August, so many owners open windows after sunset. A solar screen on that window does double duty as the bug screen.
Screens also cover more than windows. The same fabric can shade a covered patio or carport as a patio shade screen, and west-facing storefront glass with commercial solar screens. If screens look like the right fit, we measure and quote at your home, with samples to hold up against your own glass, anywhere from Sparks to Reno.
Questions
Straight answers
Do solar screens or window tint block more heat?
It depends on the specific product, but DOE and LBNL both say exterior shading is the most effective place to stop solar heat, because it works before sunlight reaches the glass.
Will window tint void my window warranty?
It can. DOE says most window manufacturers void their warranties if film is installed on insulated double-pane glass. Check your warranty first.
Can I take solar screens off in winter?
Yes. Screens mount outside the window and can come down seasonally, which is useful in Reno's long heating season. Film stays on the glass.
Is window tint worth it in Reno?
For some windows. DOE says films are best in climates with long cooling seasons, and Reno's heating season is far longer, so consider which windows really need year-round shading.
Can I put solar screens over tinted windows?
Yes. A screen mounts outside the frame and does not touch the film. Some owners add screens to west windows that were tinted years ago and still run hot.
How do other options like awnings and blinds compare?
Our guide to ways of blocking sun compares screens, film, awnings, exterior shades and inside coverings in one table.
Sources: U.S. DOE Energy Saver: Energy Efficient Window Coverings, incl. Window Films (archived Jan. 1, 2026) (opens in a new tab) · LBNL / PNNL for U.S. DOE (2024): Saving lives through affordable shading (opens in a new tab) · NOAA NCEI: U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Reno-Tahoe International Airport) (opens in a new tab) · Phifer: SunTex 80/90 product specifications (opens in a new tab)
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