There are many advantages to using polycarbonate sheets for a wide range of roofing solutions. Due to its unique inherent properties, this material is now being used all over the world. From China to the United States, through Australia and Brazil, designers of projects large and small are using polycarbonate sheets as an excellent alternative to glass and fiberglass.

The main advantages of polycarbonate roofing sheets:

1) weight-polycarbonate is much lighter than glass.

2) Versatility-polycarbonate is a thermoplastic, making it incredibly versatile and flexible.

3) Durability-polycarbonate is highly strong and durable, with high resistance to impact.

4) Consistency-For years, polycarbonate has retained its color, clarity, and form.

5) Light transmission - In comparison to fiberglass, polycarbonate can transmit much more light. It also offers the ability to play with the percentage of its shape, colors and light transmission.

The best of both worlds 

We will shed light on how polycarbonate is the perfect solution to let natural light into a structure in this article.

Polycarbonate sheets stand out as an ideal roofing solution when it comes to natural light, as they offer the best of both worlds. They come in a range of colors and tints in transparent, semi-transparent and opaque; and allow almost exactly the same amount of natural light into a structure as glass and much more than fiberglass. Polycarbonate is also more durable than glass and fiberglass. 

More and more people are beginning to realize that in favor of longevity and security, there is no need to compromise on natural light. You can now sit under a pergola, gazebo, in a school, shopping center or any other building with polycarbonate roofing sheets and enjoy all the natural light while being shielded from the elements and benefiting from minimal long-term maintenance.

Controlling heat and light transmission

When incorporating natural light into your structure it is important to consider heat and light transmission. Naturally, when more light is transmitted through a fully transparent roof, it will be hotter under that roof. Scientifically speaking, this heat is created by infrared radiation from the sun which builds up under the roof. These come in a range of colors and tints in transparent, semi-transparent and opaque; and allow almost exactly the same amount of natural light into a structure as glass and much more than fiberglass.

Not all sunlight in the same way affects us. The Solar Spectrum allows us to differentiate between three different radiation types:

Ultra-Violet – harmful and can cause skin cancer (all Palram polycarbonate products block 99.9% UV radiation)
Visible Light – allows vision and promotes well-being
Near-Infrared – converts to heat when absorbed by objects, leading to heat buildup.

Nevertheless, for this, there is a relatively simple solution. To adjust the light and heat transmission percentages based on specific requirements, special colors with heat-blocking additives can be added to the polycarbonate material.