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Glazing Performance & SHGC Calculations | SANS Compliancy CPD Module
SANS Compliancy CPD module: Glazing Performance & SHGC Calculations. R3,000. For South African architects and specifiers.
Published 27 May 2026
SANS Compliancy (SAN)
Glazing Performance & SHGC Calculations
R3,000
Specify glazing with confidence by translating SHGC, U-value, visible transmittance, and local compliance requirements into practical façade decisions for South African projects.
Why This Module?
- South African façades must respond to more than aesthetics: orientation, climate zone, and solar control all influence whether a building meets the intent of SANS 10400-XA and performs as designed.
- Misreading glazing datasheets can lead to overheating, excessive cooling loads, glare complaints, and late-stage redesigns — especially on west- and north-facing elevations in high-radiation regions.
- This module shows how to evaluate glazing in the context of SANS 204, envelope strategy, and the practical realities of local supply chains, product availability, and tender documentation.
- Ideal for projects where architectural intent, daylight access, and energy performance must be balanced without compromising compliance or occupier comfort.
Pro tip: In South African commercial buildings, the “best” glazing is rarely the lowest SHGC on paper. The right answer depends on orientation, shading geometry, daylight targets, HVAC strategy, and whether the façade is north-, east-, west-, or south-dominant.
Detailed Curriculum
1. Solar Heat Gain Fundamentals
Understanding how SHGC, solar transmittance, absorption, and re-radiation affect internal heat gains in glazed façades.
2. South African Compliance Context
Interpreting glazing performance within the framework of SANS 10400-XA, SANS 204, and the energy-efficiency intent of the National Building Regulations.
3. Climate and Orientation Analysis
Applying climate-zone logic and façade orientation to determine solar exposure risk in cities such as Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Gqeberha, and Polokwane.
4. Reading Manufacturer Data Correctly
Decoding datasheets, test reports, and certification claims for SHGC, U-value, visible transmittance, emissivity, and coating performance.
5. SHGC Calculation Methods
Working through practical calculation approaches for monolithic, double-glazed, and coated units, including how frame effects and shading devices influence overall performance.
6. Daylight, Glare, and Thermal Trade-offs
Balancing daylight admission and glare control against cooling demand, comfort, and façade transparency requirements in workplace, education, and mixed-use projects.
7. Specifying Glazing with Shading Systems
Selecting glazing in conjunction with blinds, external shading, fins, and overhangs to achieve a performance-led façade strategy rather than a component-by-component compromise.
8. Compliance Notes, Schedules, and Tender Documentation
Capturing performance assumptions, calculation outputs, and specification language that can be issued confidently to consultants, contractors, and reviewers.
Pro tip: A shaded west façade in Gauteng can outperform a high-spec low-SHGC pane with no shading on the same elevation. Always model the full system — glass, frame, and shading — before signing off the schedule.
Learning Outcomes
- Interpret glazing performance data and identify the correct values for specification and compliance use.
- Calculate and compare SHGC performance for different glazing types and façade orientations.
- Assess how local climate conditions affect cooling loads, glare risk, and façade selection.
- Integrate glazing and shading decisions into a performance-led architectural specification.
- Prepare clearer documentation for consultants, reviewers, and project teams using South African compliance language.
- Recommend practical glazing strategies that support energy efficiency without undermining daylight quality or architectural intent.
Who Should Take This Module
This module is designed for South African architects, project architects, technologists, specifiers, sustainability consultants, façade coordinators, and built-environment professionals who need to make informed glazing decisions on compliant, energy-conscious projects. It is especially relevant for teams working on commercial, educational, healthcare, and multi-unit residential developments where envelope performance, occupant comfort, and code compliance must align.
Pro tip: If the brief says “more glass,” your response should not be “less SHGC only.” The better professional answer is a façade strategy that coordinates glazing, shading, orientation, and internal load assumptions.
Prerequisites
None — suitable for all registered professionals. A basic understanding of building envelopes is helpful, but not required.
CPD Points
1 Structured CPD Point
SACAP / SAICE / ECSA accreditation pending.