Solar Shading of Buildings

Paul Littlefair, Principal Lighting Consultant, BRE, UK

Executive Summary 1 Introduction 1.1 Why Shading? 1.2 Examples 2 Principles 2.1 Movement of the Sun and Window Orientation 2.2 Loss of Daylight 2.3 View Out 2.4 Fixed and Adjustable Shading 3 External Shading 3.1 Overhangs 3.2 Light Shelves 3.3 Awnings and Canopies 3.4 Fixed and Moveable Louvres 3.5 Other Shading Devices 4 Glazing 4.1 Standard Solar-control Glazing: Reflective and Absorbing 4.2 Soft-coat Low-emissivity 'Heat Mirror' Glazing 4.3 Reducing Window Area 4.4 Window Films 4.5 Other Glazing Types 5 Mid-pane Devices 5.1 Mid-pane Blinds 5.2 Shading in Double-skinned Facades 5.3 Other Mid-pane Shading Types 6 Internal Shading 6.1 Venetian Blinds 6.2 Vertical Louvre Blinds 6.3 Roller Blinds 6.4 Curtains 6.5 Other Internal Shading Devices 7 Conclusions 7.1 Notes to Table 15 8 References Appendix: Measuring and Calculating Shading Performance A.1 Measuring Solar Gain A.2 Effect on Daylight A.3 Openness Coefficient A.4 Databases of Shading Performance A.5 Modelling Performance A.6 Life-cycle Assessment