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Solar Shades for Controlling Sunlight, Heat Gain, Heat Loss on buildings InspectAPedia®  -     Exterior solar shades or interior solar blinds block to excessive sunlight and un-wanted heat gain Source for vertical solar shades? Solar Age Magazine Articles on Renewable Energy, Energy Savings, Construction Practices

This article discusses the function of sun shades to block direct sun for controlling heat gain in passive solar buildings. Accompanying text is reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss. Our page top photograph shows an older solution to solar sunshading in Buenos Aires, Argentina. These hinged solar screens can be latched and opened or shut as a hinged-vertical sunscreen (photo left side) or as an awning-type sunscreen (photo right side). As we show below, this system also permits individual sections of the louvered screen to be open or shut from indoors.

Readers of this article should also see PASSIVE SOLAR Roof & Window Overhangs - an alternative to solar shades. Contact us to suggest text changes and additions and, if you wish, to receive online listing and credit for that contribution. For a discussion of night-time insulation using low-E solar shades, see SOLAR SHADES, LOW-E EFFECTIVENESS.

© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website.

Solar Shades in or on buildings

Finding Vertical Exterior Sunshades that Retract & Adjust to Block all Direct Sunlight

Question: Where can I find exterior solar shades that use vertical louvered elements that retract and adjust?

Answer: Vertical solar shade elements are uncommon but some commercial alternatives are available.

This is a tall order for solar sunshading indeed! Louvered devices that effectively block all direct sun from all angles you mention would have to have both vertical (for low west sun) and horizontal (for straight-on and water-reflected sunlight). This adds up to an egg-crate configuration that would probably cut too much view to be acceptable. Vertical-louvered systems made for commercial projects could be adapted, but not cheaply. The Moore Co. makes an adjustable vertical solar sunlight screen system with 8-inch aluminum blades that they could taylor to your requirements. [Our photo (left) shows a versatile louvered sun screen installed on many windows in Buenos Aires, Argentina --DF] We suggest you consider using an exterior woven polyester shade screen, either fixed or roller-mounted. Available in many colors (charcoal, silver gray, bronze and more ) a polyester woven sunshade screen will reduce solar gain by up to 90 percent, but still allow some through-visibility. Some of the newer solar screening products such as Pfifer's SuperSolar screening can block 90 percent of sunlight while providing good outwards visibility. Polyester woven solar screens can be manually or motor-operated, or even automated to respond to sunlight. A polyester sunscreen shade is produced by Levolor Lorentzen and by Phifer Wire Products and other manufacturers. [Our photo (left) shows use of a woven polyester screen suitable for difficult sunscreening applications, in use in New York City at a construction site. -- DF] Pfifer also produces insect screening, interior and exterior screening products including SunTex® - a vinyl-coated polyester woven mesh that blocks 80% to 90% of the sun's rays, intended for use on windows SuperSolar Screening - a fabric installed like regular insect screening, but blocking 90% of sunlight, ideal for extremely hot windows while providing excellent outward (only) visibility. SunScreen® -to reduce solar heat gain in summer and to reduce winter heat loss, screens, and SheerWeave® polyester-coated fiberglass fabrics intended for exterior use. SunTex awning fabrics - for window shades and awnings

Also see SOLAR SHADES, LOW-E EFFECTIVENESS and for a discussion of use of shades and louvers for sunlight glare control in buildings see GREENHOUSE / SUNSPACE GLARE.

The question-and-answer article about the use of solar shades or solar blinds and blocking unwanted heat gain from sunlight in buildings, quotes-from, updates, and comments an original article, (see links just above) from Solar Age Magazine and written by Steven Bliss.

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• InspectAPedia Bookstore lists recommended books, organized by topic & available for purchase. Most of our articles also include a list of recommended books for the specific article topic as well as other references, and information sources.
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• Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.

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SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS
  BLOCKBED RADIANT FLOORS - SOLAR DESIGN
  FLOOR, CONCRETE SLAB CHOICES
  FLOOR, CONCRETE SLAB POURED FINISH
  GLASS vs HEAT MIRROR SOLAR GAIN/Loss
  GREENHOUSE DESIGN for SOLAR HEATING
  GREENHOUSE / SUNSPACE GLARE
  PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN KEY ELEMENTS
  PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN METHOD
  PASSIVE SOLAR ENERGY MONITORING
  PASSIVE SOLAR FLOOR TILES, PHASE CHANGE
  PASSIVE SOLAR HEAT PERFORMANCE
  PASSIVE SOLAR HOME, LOW COST
  PASSIVE SOLAR PERFORMANCE PROBE
  PASSIVE SOLAR Roof & Window Overhangs
  PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SYSTEMS
  POLYCARBONATE GLAZING
  REMOTE ELECTRIC POWER, PHOTOVOLTAIC
  ROCK-BED SOLAR HEAT STORAGE DESIGN
  SLAB INSULATION, PASSIVE SOLAR
  SLATE THERMAL MASS for SOLAR HEAT STORAGE
  SOLAR COLLECTOR AIR or GAS COLLECTION
  SOLAR COLLECTOR EFFICIENCY COMPARISONS
  SOLAR COLLECTOR FILMS
  SOLAR COLLECTOR OUTGASSING
  SOLAR COLLECTOR WOOD HOUSINGS
  SOLAR GAIN CALCULATION
  SOLAR HEATING SYSTEM DESIGNS
  SOLAR HOT WATER HEATERS
  SOLAR HOUSE EVALUATION
  SOLAR MODULE MANUFACTURERS
  SOLAR SHADES & SUNSCREENS
  SOLAR SHADES, LOW-E EFFECTIVENESS
  SOLAR WATER DISINFECTION
  SOLAR HOT WATER HEATERS
  SUNSPACE DESIGN for SOLAR HEATING
  SUNSPACE GLAZING for SUNTANNING
  STORM WINDOW INTERIOR
  STORM WINDOW PLASTIC CHOICES
  STORM WINDOW WEEP HOLES
  SUNGAIN, FILMS, LOW-E GLASS
  SUNSPACE GLAZING for SUNTANNING
  SWIMMING POOL SOLAR HEAT, INDOOR
  SWIMMING POOL SOLAR HEAT, OUTDOOR DIAGNOSIS
  THERMAL MASS in buildings

• Solar Age Magazine was the official publication of the American Solar Energy Society. The contemporary solar energy magazine associated with the Society is Solar Today. "Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is the nation's leading association of solar professionals & advocates. Our mission is to inspire an era of energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy. We advance education, research and policy. Leading for more than 50 years. ASES leads national efforts to increase the use of solar energy, energy efficiency and other sustainable technologies in the U.S. We publish the award-winning SOLAR TODAY magazine, organize and present the ASES National Solar Conference and lead the ASES National Solar Tour – the largest grassroots solar event in the world."
  
• Steven Bliss served as editorial director and co-publisher of The Journal of Light Construction for 16 years and previously as building technology editor for Progressive Builder and Solar Age magazines. He worked in the building trades as a carpenter and design/build contractor for more than ten years and holds a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Excerpts from his recent book, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, Wiley (November 18, 2005) ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, appear throughout this website, with permission and courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Best Practices Guide is available from the publisher, J. Wiley & Sons, and also at Amazon.com.
  Excerpts with updates and annotations expanding the original Best Practices Guide text can be found in the online review and book summary at BEST CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES GUIDE and also at DECK & PORCH CONSTRUCTION, at INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE, and in other articles found at InspectAPedia.com such as HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS, SOUND CONTROL in buildings, and other topics.
• Solar Sun Screens, Shades, Solar Sunscreen Fabrics - Suppliers
  • Levolor Lorentzen, 1280 Wall St. West, Lyndhurst NJ 07071 - solar screens and sunshades - woven polyester screening
  • Moore Co., Marceline MO 64568 - solar shades and sunscreens, commercial products
  • Pfifer Wire Products, sells a variety of screening products including both exterior sun control screening and interior sun control screen products - PHIFER Incorporated P.O. Box 1700, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35403-1700, USA - 205 -345-2120 - solar screens and sunshades - woven polyester screening - info@phifer.com
  • Quality Solar Screen Co. distributes Pfifer solar screening fabrics and other related products
• Passive Solar Design Handbook Volume I, the Passive Solar Handbook Introduction to Passive Solar Concepts, in a version used by the U.S. Air Force - online version available at this link and from the USAF also at wbdg.org/ccb/AF/AFH/pshbk_v1.pdf
• Passive Solar Design Handbook Volume II, the Passive Solar Handbook Comprehensive Planning Guide, in a version used by the U.S. Air Force - online version available at this link and from the USAF also at wbdg.org/ccb/AF/AFH/pshbk_v2.pdf [This is a large PDF file that can take a while to load]
• Passive Solar Handbook Volume III, the Passive Solar Handbook Programming Guide, in a version used by the U.S. Air Force - online version available at this link and from the USAF also at wbdg.org/ccb/AF/AFH/pshbk_v3.pdf
• The Passive Solar Design and Construction Handbook, Steven Winter Associates (Author), Michael J. Crosbie (Editor), Wiley & Sons, ISBN 978-047118382 or 0471183083 is available at Amazon.com and via the The Passive Solar Design and Construction Handbook, Steven Winter Associates (Author), Michael J. Crosbie (Editor), Wiley & Sons, ISBN 978-047118382 or 0471183083 is available at Amazon.com and via the InspectAPedia Bookstore
• "Passive Solar Home Design", U.S. Department of Energy, describes using a home's windows, walls, and floors to collect and store solar energy for winter heating and also rejecting solar heat in warm weather.
• "Solar Water Heaters", U.S. Department of Energy article on solar domestic water heaters to generate domestic hot water in buildings, explains how solar water heaters work. Solar heat for swimming pools is also discussed.
• "Heat Exchangers for Solar Water Heating Systems", U.S. DOE describes the types of solar water heater heat exchange methods between the sun and the building's hot water supply
• "Heat-Transfer Fluids for Solar Water Heating Systems", U.S. DOE, describes the types of fluids selected to transfer heat between the solar collector and the hot water in storage tanks in a building. These include air, water, water with glycol antifreeze mixtures (needed when using solar hot water systems in freezing climates), hydrocarbon oils, and refrigerants or silicones for heat transfer.
• "Solar Water Heating System Maintenance and Repair", U.S. DOE
• "Solar Water Heating System Freeze Protection", U.S. DOE,using antifreeze mixture in solar water heaters (or other freeze-resistant heat transfer fluids), as well as piping to permit draining the solar collector and piping system.
• "Scaling and Corrosion in Solar Water Heating Systems", U.S. DOE
• www.energysavers.gov/your_home/water_heating/index.cfm/mytopic=12850 is the base U.S. DOE website for these articles
• "Active Solar Heating Systems", U.S. Department of Energy, including
• "Radiant Heating Systems" U.S. DOE
• "Absorption Heat Pumps & Coolers", U.S. DOE
• "Solar Air Heating" U.S. DOE also referred to as "Ventilation Preheating" in which solar systems use air for absorbing and transferring solar energy or heat to a building
• "Solar Liquid Heating" U.S. DOE, systems using liquid (typically water) in flat plate solar collectors to collect solar energy in the form of heat for transfer into a building for space heating or hot water heating. The term "solar liquid" is used for accuracy, rather than "solar water" because the water may contain an antifreeze or other chemicals.

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
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