Desirability of glass roofs.

[Illinibird]

I absolutely hate and detest the sun, and I've had to buy a shade for the pano roof. The pano roof absolutely lets in light and heat more than a regular metal roof would. It's too bad the extra headroom and the premium trim only come with a glass roof; otherwise, I'd have opted for the metal roof.

Agree with not liking the sun beating down on my head with the direct rays of the summer. I'm balding and after sitting in the car any length of time when I first got it the heat from the glass really bothered me. Bought the shade for the panoramic roof with the reflective cover that bounces the rays back and it is comfortable again. I use the shade from June until mid September. The nine months in between (when the rays are at more of an angle) I don't use it.

I disagree in that I do like the panoramic roof and wouldn't want a metal one. The view nine months a year is pretty nice.

Just my opinion and I know most think the shade is not necessary but I'm glad I have it.

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[DJ_indy]

When will Ford turn the glass roof into a SOLAR PANEL?

 

[MachEMaster]

I like the feel and look of my Select metal roof.

 

[ponEpwr]

I'd rather have a twin panel roof that opened like in my F-150.

As a driver I don't even notice that there is a glass roof over my head. Can't see it.

 

[kdonnel]

When will Ford turn the glass roof into a SOLAR PANEL?

A solar panel of that size would generate about 3-4 miles of power/range a day if parked outside in the full sun 8 hours.

Hardly worth it.

 

[devmach-e]

I have found that when the car has been sitting in the sun for a while, the glass roof can be hot to the touch, and will radiate a minor amount of heat about half an inch from the surface. After less than 5 minutes of driving, the glass is cool to the touch. The windshield or side windows are more likely to still be warm to the touch than the roof.

As an experiment, I put a thermometer in our Highlander Hybrid (with the pano sunroof) and one in the Mach-E. The Highlander was warmer by 10 degrees despite having the shade cover for the pano sunroof deployed.

 

[Thunderbuck]

I'm happy to NOT have the glass roof for the opposite reason to greenhouse concerns: I live in a place where it can get damn cold in the winter and you lose a LOT of heat through a glass roof.

 

[devmach-e]

I'm happy to NOT have the glass roof for the opposite reason to greenhouse concerns: I live in a place where it can get damn cold in the winter and you lose a LOT of heat through a glass roof.

You won’t lose that much heat. Probably will lose more via a metal roof.

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

I'm happy to NOT have the glass roof for the opposite reason to greenhouse concerns: I live in a place where it can get damn cold in the winter and you lose a LOT of heat through a glass roof.

I don't claim to live in a place anywhere near as cold as where you live, but it hasn't been an issue for me.

There was a lot of worry, understandably, about the glass roof in more Southern locations before folks had it for a while, but it seems generally that it's worked out well.

@SnBGC lives in AZ and has not chimed in here yet.

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

When will Ford turn the glass roof into a SOLAR PANEL?

this would be cool, but likely would not mean much. If you figure say 400W for the available space, which is likely way too high, then 2.5h is 1 kWh or about 2-3 miles, or in an 8 hour work day, 3.2 kWh so 6-10 miles, very roughly. That's not nothing, but it's somewhat a party trick.

 

[MachEMaster]

this would be cool, but likely would not mean much. If you figure say 400W for the available space, which is likely way too high, then 2.5h is 1 kWh or about 2-3 miles, or in an 8 hour work day, 3.2 kWh so 6-10 miles, very roughly. That's not nothing, but it's somewhat a party trick.

I think a Solar Roof that would regulate cabin temperatures while the vehicle is parked, would be good.

 

[Mach1E]

You won’t lose that much heat. Probably will lose more via a metal roof.

Yeah the heat rejection coatings of the roof keep heat out in the summer and actually keep heat in during the winter.

Good new windows in your house have similar coatings. Basically they reduce heat transmission both directions.

And in the winter, especially with sunlight, it would help keep you warmer I bet.

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

I think a Solar Roof that would regulate cabin temperatures while the vehicle is parked, would be good.

that's fair, using it to run the A/C.

 

[21st Century Pony]

Like Illinibird in a previous post here, I have the aftermarket shade + silver liner under the pano glass roof since early June and plan to stow it in September for the next nine months.

From one of my undergrad geography classes, I remember that insolation (sun rays beaming down) and late-day re-radiation are at different light spectrum frequencies... which explains why the warmed earth (rocks, soil etc) re-radiates the energy as heat in the afternoon and dissipates clouds from the underside. SO, IMHO the panoramic roof reflects most insolation, but does absorb some and later re-radiates it at a lower wavelength as heat we can feel with our hand (and head I guess).

 

[21st Century Pony]

that's fair, using it to run the A/C.

One of the Toyota Prius models had such a moonroof solar setup about ten years ago. The solar panel powered the moon roof to open and energized a small fan to het the heat out.

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