The energy radiated by laser‐produced Al plasmas is calculated using a one‐dimensional Lagrangian code and a collisional radiative equilibrium model. The predicted spectra are used to calculate the energy transmitted through Al foils of various thicknesses, and comparisons are made with experimental data. The sensitivity of the transmitted energies to the flux limiterf, used in the simulation is assessed, and it is suggested that this could be a useful independent technique for testing heat transport models in simulations.