Solar heat gain through windows can account for a significant portion of the total cooling load of the building; therefore, it is necessary to have a means to determine this heat gain. The ASHRAE method commonly used for solar heat gain determination employs the use of shading coefficients in conjunction with solar heat gain factors.

Shading coefficients for regular and heat absorbing glasses with interior shading have been established. Information on reflective coated glasses with draperies is limited due to the relatively few experimental verifications which have been performed to date. Solar calorimeter evaluation formed the basis for the values appearing in the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers Handbook of Fundamentals. The purpose of this investigation is to verify the data on reflective coated glasses and draperies presented in the 1972 Handbook of Fundamentals.