One Way View (OWV) on windows

[Piwoslaw]

One Way View (OWV) foil is a large sticker with holes in it:

This allows you cover the windows of stores or cars with advertisements, while still being able to see out.

One downside is that when wet, water fills the holes, spoiling the ability to see out.

The upside is that OWV reduces (by ~50%) the amount of light entering through the glass.
This could be an option for reducing solar gain and cooling needs, especially since many recent cars have panoramic moonroofs:


For this reason I am considering sticking this on my 308sw's glass roof.

Any opinions?

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

I remember it was fairly common as a way to display ads in the rear window of taxis in many Brazilian cities around the early 2000s. Then, all of a sudden, it seems to have fell out of favor. Maybe regulations restricting the displaying of ads on taxis.

[boingk]

Sounds like a good idea for me on the roof. Personally I couldnt think of a worse idea for a roof than glass - it might look good in an adertisement or showroom but its horridly impractical.

[Gasoline Fumes]

I've been thinking about it! I was calling it perforated vinyl. Regular window tint film limits sunlight, but the dark color makes the glass hotter. White vinyl should be much better.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Gasoline Fumes

Regular window tint film limits sunlight, but the dark color makes the glass hotter. White vinyl should be much better.

No wonder some window films have a lighter color, and sometimes even a mirror-like facing to the outside. I guess it wouldn't be illegal to fit them to a sunroof, but for most of the windows of a regular car it had been outlawed here, yet I often see it on former passenger vans converted to cargo.

[Piwoslaw]

Done.

Before:

After:


Close view:


Top:


OWV foil is usually white on the outside and black on the (sticky) inside. This makes it easier to look out, but not in.
When ordering, I had the option to have any image printed on the outside, so I asked for a uniform silver/grey, as close to the car's paint as possible. The effect is close in diffused light, but seems to shine white when in direct sunlight.

As for blocking the heat, it is too early to tell. I have cardboard with aluminum foil tucked under the glass roof, and it already blocks most of the heat into the cabin, but a lot of that heat is reflected back through the tinted glass, making it heat up even more. The OWV foil should reduce a lot of that heat gain, keeping the glass from getting too hot.

[Logic]

Nice!

The
"option to have any image printed on the outside"
got me thinking about the super (reflective) whites like:
Barium Sulphate and the new, much thinner lighter Hexagonal Boron Nitride
(as normally found in engine oil!)
Might they be used as printer pigments?
It seems they can! That's ...er... cool!

I also wonder about the aero (skin friction) effect?
All those little holes are reminiscent of golf ball dimples, so might actually help keep detached turbulent flow attached!??

ie: Did you just improve your car's aero too!??