V-KOOL APPLIED WINDOW FILM REDUCES SOLAR HEAT, INCREASES EMPLOYEE COMFORT AT CHICAGO HEADQUARTERS OF MONTGOMERY WARD

Houston, TX (January 5, 2001)--Recent renovation and refurbishing of the Montgomery Ward corporate headquarters in Chicago included the use of V-Kool, applied window film on the south, east and west exposures of the buildingâs entire 25 floors. The result: increased employee comfort, increases in employee productivity and reduction in air conditioning operating costs.

The 30 year old all glass building, a Chicago landmark, experienced excessive solar heat through existing windows. Even in winter uncomfortably hot temperatures impeded employee productivity and prevented fully using otherwise optimal floor space.

"Rather than spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to replace the buildingâs existing single pane annealed glass, Montgomery Ward asked us to apply V-Kool," explains David Wubs, president of Midwest Solar Control, a certified V-Kool installer in Grayslake, Illinois. "V-Kool is a relatively clear window film that blocks solar heat without significantly reducing visible light."

Midwest Solar Control applied 40,000 square feet of V-Kool on 1,100 of the building's windows in April, 1999. Completed over a 12 week period, payback on the project is anticipated in approximately 5 years. To aid in Ward's decision making, Midwest Solar Control put V-Kool and several competing films on test windows in the building.

"Wards selected V-Kool, not only because it blocks heat while transmitting high levels of light, but because as a practically colorless film, V-Kool doesn't change the appearance of the existing glass and the original look of the Wardâs building," says Midwestâs David Wubs.

How V-Kool works

"V-Kool clear applied film blocks unwanted heat better than many dark tinted or mirrored films," says Marty Watts, president and CEO of V-Kool, Inc.

V-Kool applied film is the only clear (non-tinted and almost colorless) window film capable of blocking over half the sun's heat without changing the appearance of existing glass. V-Kool is a spectrally-selective film able to select or let in desirable daylight while blocking out undesirable heat. V-Kool is constructed with a scratch resistant coating on one side and an adhesive coating on the other. It is applied by professional installers to existing windows and glass doors.

V-Kool is a trademark of V-Kool, Inc., a sales and marketing distribution company of heat reflective applied films for architectural, automotive and specialized vehicular applications.

V-Kool, proudly participates in Energy Star® a voluntary partnership among the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, product manufacturers, local utilities and retailers. Energy Star partners promote energy efficient products using the Energy Star logo and by educating consumers about the benefits of energy efficiency.

V-Kool's solar control films are manufactured by Southwall Technologies, Palo Alto, CA, whose window film technology was recognized by Popular Science as one of the 100 greatest inventions of the past millennium.

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