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Solar control film is usually positioned on the interior side of the window to reduce heat radiation into buildings. This work, in contrast, investigates the thermal performance and durability properties of window glazing with film on the exterior side and glazing with an additional TiO2 layer, as a protective film, on the exterior side. A small-sized hot-box was developed to evaluate the performance of glass samples: low-E glass, clear glass with solar film and tinted glass with TiO2 coating. It was concluded that the glass with coating facing toward outdoor could result in a reduction of interior surface temperature by 2℃–7℃. The thermal discomfort caused by these exterior films for the occupants would therefore be lowered. Experiments on surface properties found that heat treatment could provide improved durability properties for low-E and TiO2 glass samples. Adding another TiO2 layer to the low-E or solar films was found to exhibit even lower interior temperatures. An energy analysis showed that the heat transfer rate to the building inside was reduced by 25.8% for TiO2/solar film on the exterior compared to the low-E glass with film facing inside. TiO2/solar film placed on the exterior side is therefore highly recommended for window glazing by this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]