Pros - looks, visible light, open atmosphere feel, etc

Cons - safety (i.e. fall through hazard), cost (relative to size), cost of tempered glass.

Thank you. I read online that with floor to ceiling windows in the family room (especially south facing ones), the family room could get really hot in the summer and the constant light could result in carpet and furniture fading. I was wondering if anyone has experienced this.

If you get windows with low solar gain loW glass,, you should not experience a lot of heat. You could also use triple pane with low solar gain. This type of glass will also block 99% of UV rays.

The lower SHGC range glass will cut down on the solar heat as Sky mentioned.

Fading is a function of both UV spectrum and visible light.

Laminated glass or a UV package (either SPF type coating or triple pane) will nearly eliminate the UV spectrum but the amount of visible light will still contribute to some fading.

The lower SHGC range glass will cut down on the solar heat as Sky mentioned.

I'll look into the options both of you have suggested. Thank you!

You don't say where you are located or which side of the house the panels will be facing. Due to excess summer heat gain, I think I would go with multiple smaller windows that would be easier to dress, ie cover in the heat of summer.

Additionally, any kind of reflective film applied after window installation, will likely void your warranty.

chemocurl, the glass being mentioned above is not covered with an aftermarket reflective film but rather is manufactured directly into the glass and does a fantastic job with no worry of voiding any warranties.