Renault has shown an innovative glass roof that changes transparency depending on the season and sunlight and maintains a comfortable temperature in the cabin.
The problem is solved in the hybrid Rafale E-Tech and electric Scenic E-Tech models, which are equipped with an innovative panoramic roof. The Solarbay light-tight sunroof is a joint development of Renault and Saint-Gobain Sekurit.
Previously, when the sun fell on a glass roof, the only way to escape the rays and heat was a sunshade. Now the light-tight sunroof of the new generation Solarbay has made sun blinds obsolete.
From now on, you can let the sun shine, but not blind or burn: the main function of the Solarbay sunroof is simple and easy to operate. The control is carried out by means of a button on the headlamp, which can be reached by the driver and passenger in front. If necessary, orders can be given by voice via Google Assistant, in which case these orders are available to all passengers in front and behind.
The panoramic sunroof is more than one meter long, but it becomes frosted or completely light in less than five seconds. And it does it in style – with a topical, subtle, but surprising “wave” that passes through nine glass segments. There is another trick: you can make it completely opaque.
“The Solarbay can be switched to four positions: all transparent, all opaque, transparent at the front and opaque at the rear, and vice versa,” says Gregory Lone, Renault Rafale’s Head of Product Performance.
The opaque Solarbay sunroof also maintains a comfortable interior temperature. Solarbay does not just block the sun’s rays: it also maintains a stable temperature inside. Thanks to the various glass layers, it doesn’t matter if it’s -5°C or +30°C outside: the temperature inside the cabin will be the same.
Solarbay automatically switches to opaque when you turn off the engine and leave the car. Then, when you come back, it will return to the previous preset settings.
At the same time, the cabin has another advantage: since there is no sun shade, the ceiling has risen 3 cm higher, which will please tall passengers. In addition, the car is more efficient: The Solarbay weighs 6-8 kg less than a traditional sunroof with an electrically operated sunshade.
The opaque Solarbay sunroof in the Rafale E-Tech and Scenic E-Tech Electric uses Saint-Gobain Sekurit’s AmpliSky system based on PDLC (polymer dispersed liquid crystal) technology. This technology uses an electric field to move molecules between two sheets of glass, and this is what makes the roof opaque.
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