Opaque walls isolate. Vision glass invites glare and heat. Solera® is the missing third option, engineered translucent glazing that transforms raw sunlight into soft, usable daylight while delivering wall-like insulation in selected configurations
Centre-of-glass values by configuration
Custom daylight levels, diffusion & privacy
Glass-based, not plastic — no UV-driven yellowing
Solera® units are engineered daylight diffusers. They transform raw, harsh sunlight into soft, gentle, practical daylight that fills your entire space. This gives you all the benefits of natural light without the glare and heat gain that cause so many daylighting projects to fail.
Selected Solera® configurations provide centre-of-glass R-values up to R-25. Our technical team can help select the right unit for your project’s thermal and daylighting requirements.
Clear-glass configurations provide 14% to 62% VLT, depending on the Solera® product and veil combination.
Configure insulation, solar control, and daylight together to help reduce heating, cooling, and lighting loads.
Solera® units use tuned capillary-tube venting and moisture-buffering materials to maintain low internal humidity and prevent internal condensation.
Selected Solera® configurations can achieve Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings that may exceed 52, depending on the selected glass, insulating core, and veil combination. Our technical team can provide the relevant test data and help configure the right balance of daylight, thermal, and acoustic performance for your project.
Solera® can support LEED, WELL, Fitwel, and BREEAM strategies through project-specific daylight modelling, visual comfort, thermal performance, solar control, acoustic performance, and product documentation.
Compatible with most standard window, storefront, curtain wall, or skylight systems, Solera® allows specifiers to precisely configure properties for new construction or retrofits.
Got a Large Opening?
When the opening is too large for conventional framing, SoleraWall® clads directly over primary structure — delivering the same beautiful diffused daylight at building-envelope scale.
EXPLORE SOLERAWALL® ›Light Diffusing Power™ (LDP™) is a proprietary measurement system developed to compare the light diffusing ability of various glazing products. The higher the LDP™ score, the softer and more evenly distributed the light — and the less glare reaching the people inside.
By specifying an LDP™ target and modelling the project, you can select the exact glazing combination needed to eliminate glare while meeting the thermal performance and daylighting levels required by the energy model.
Request a Complimentary Daylight Model LEARN MORE ›
Place vision glass at eye level where occupants need a direct connection to the outdoors. This is the glass that frames the view.
Use Solera® above the vision zone, in clerestories, skylights, and side-lites to flood the space with soft, glare-free daylight — and create that iconic warm glow after dark.
Use opaque cladding or spandrel where you need privacy, structure, or thermal mass. Every material doing exactly the job it was designed for.
Solera® delivers full-spectrum natural daylight. Artificial LED lighting can brighten a room, but it cannot deliver full-spectrum natural daylight or replace the sun’s continuously changing spectrum and intensity.
That distinction matters. Daylight is the body’s primary daytime cue for circadian rhythm. Modern indoor life often leaves people with too little daylight during the day and too much electric light, including LED light, after dark, a pattern associated with sleep and circadian disruption. Solera® puts soft, glare-free daylight back into the building without the glare, heat gain, and closed blinds that can make ordinary vision glass difficult to use.
Explore the harms of LEDs, daylighting in schools, and much more on our podcast — Better Buildings for Humans (BBFH). Powered by Advanced Glazings.
LISTEN NOWCommon questions from architects, specifiers, and building owners about Solera® translucent glazing.
Frosted and acid-etched glass scatter light by roughening the surface — this produces a low Light Diffusion Power™ (LDP™) score, meaning the light that enters is still directional enough to create glare and hot spots. Solera® uses a proprietary diffusing veil within the glass unit that scatters light volumetrically through the entire panel, achieving a significantly higher LDP™ score. The result is soft, even, glare-free illumination deep into the space.
Solera® is available in a range of thermal performance levels to suit your project’s energy requirements:
All values are for the centre-of-glass. Our technical team can help you select the right R-value for your climate zone and energy model.
Yes. Solera® is configured for the project. Available product series and selected glass, insulating-core, and veil combinations provide configuration-specific visible light transmittance (VLT), solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC), and thermal-performance data. A wide range of architectural glass types and thicknesses may be selected to meet project objectives and applicable codes. Ask our technical team to confirm available frit, shape, panel dimensions, and final glass make-up for the selected Solera® configuration and framing system; complimentary Radiance modelling can inform daylighting choices.
Solera® is designed to fit most standard curtain wall, storefront, window, skylight, and sloped-glazing systems, much like a regular IGU. Product Drawings includes framing-specific details for a wide range of named systems. For an unlisted system or renovation, our technical team will confirm compatibility with the selected Solera® unit and framing conditions, then provide drawings on request.
Yes. Solera® can support project teams pursuing up to 35 points under LEED v5, depending on the applicable rating system, project design, configuration, and required documentation. Our technical team can provide the product data and optical performance files required for LEED documentation. Reach out to discuss your project.
Typical lead times are 6–8 weeks from receipt of the purchase order. Lead time varies depending on project size and glass make-up — standard configurations are often quicker, while specialty glass or larger orders may take a little longer. We recommend engaging our team early in the design process. Request a quote for a current lead time estimate.
Polycarbonate and fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) are polymer-based materials. Over time, UV exposure, heat, oxygen, and weather can alter their molecular structure, affecting clarity, colour, light transmission, and mechanical performance. UV exposure accelerates this ageing process, even where coatings and stabilizers are used to extend service life.
Solera® is built around glass, not a plastic panel. Glass itself does not yellow or undergo the UV-driven polymer degradation characteristic of polycarbonate and FRP. This helps Solera® retain its optical quality and architectural appearance over the long term.
Solera® is also backed by a transferable limited warranty covering specified veil-colour change, light-transmittance loss, seal failure, spacer corrosion, and deterioration of the insulating insert.
Connect with an architectural product consultant and find out how Solera® can work for your building.
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