Solar shades to block excessive sunlight or heat gains: this article discusses the function of sun shades to block direct sun for controlling heat gain in passive solar buildings.

Choosing & Using Solar Shades in or on Buildings to Control Bright Sun & High Heat Gain at Windows

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.

Our photo (left) shows a variety of solar sun shading alternatives in use in Buenos Aires, Argentina. - Ed.

Accompanying text is reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss.

The question-and-answer article below paraphrases, quotes-from, updates, and comments an original article from Solar Age Magazine and written by Steven Bliss. Photos by D. Friedman.

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?

While there seem to be plenty of sources for exterior solar shades and interior solar blinds with horizontal fins, slats, or louvers, I have had no luck finding exterior solar shades with vertical elements that retract and adjust.

I have a number of projects with a western exposure overlooking the ocean, where only a vertical shading device can maintain a partial view, while blocking direct sun from above, straight on, and from below (reflected from the water). -- Chris Hendricks, Los Angeles CA

[Our photo at above-left shows a contemporary horizontal solar shade installation in Tucson, Arizona. As we explain below, for technical reasons vertical-louvered solar shade elements will be uncommon. - Ed.

Below our photo shows an older wooden window shutter mounted with a top hinge, acting as a solar awning to provide solar shading on a building in downtown Genoa, Italy.

The wide slats and openings permit additional air flow.

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 tailor 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 (above-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

A variety of sun screen products and fabrics is currently available and are shown later on this page where we list sun screen product and solar screening fabric producers and sources.

Our solar screen photograph (above) of a solar sunshade screening system in widespread use in Buenos Aires shows one of the opening positions of this system, viewed from indoors.

Our detailed photo demonstrates the ability to open and close individual solar screen segments for outdoor view or admittance of light and air in the strong-sun climate of Buenos Aires, Argentina. -- DF

Also see our page top photo of this sunshade system viewed from outdoors.

The solid stone shutter shown in our photo above is one of many installed on the Church of Santa Fosca on the island of Torcello in the Venetian Lagoon.

The Chiesa Santa Fosca dates from the ninth century, though in its present form this church is much newer, dating from the twelfth century.

Another photo of these stone window shutters and more information about their use can be found

at HURRICANE, WIND, & STORM-RESISTANT WINDOWS.

Solid wood window shutters are more-widely used thorughout Venice and on buildings in the Venetian Lagoon, primarily for sun protection, as shown in our wood window shutter photo below.

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 from Solar Age Magazine and written by Steven Bliss.

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.

The link to the original Q&A article in PDF form immediately below was preceded (above) by an expanded/updated online version of this article.

• Q&A on Vertical Solar Shades use of solid exterior solar shades or interior solar blinds to control building heat gain - PDF version, use your browser's back button to return to this page

Solar Shades & Awnings Research

Photo: this office building in Queretaro, Mexico demonstrated extensive use of solar shading.

• Muckenfuss, Laura A. & Charles E. Fisher, WINDOW AWNINGS [PDF] Preservation Tech Notes, Windows, No. 7, National Park Service, US Department of Interior, retrieved 2022/10/07, original source: https://www.nps.gov/tps/how-to-preserve/tech-notes/Tech-Notes-Windows07.pdf
• PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN HANDBOOK I [PDF]the Passive Solar Handbook Introduction to Passive Solar Concepts, in a version used by the U.S. Air Force
• PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN HANDBOOK II [PDF] 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 DESIGN HANDBOOK III [PDF] 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
• PASSIVE SOLAR HOME DESIGN [PDF] [PDF] 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.
• Randl, Chas, THE USE of AWNINGS on HISTORIC BUILDINGS: REPAIR, REPLACEMENT & NEW DESIGN [PDF] NPS Preservation Brief No. 44
  Excerpt:
  
  Throughout their history, awnings have had great appeal. Along with drapes, curtains, shutters, and blinds they provided natural climate control in an age before air conditioning and tinted glass.
  
  By blocking out the sun's rays while admitting daylight and allowing air to circulate between interior and exterior, they were remarkably efficient and cost effective.
  
  Awnings permitted window-shopping on rainy days; they protected show window displays from fading due to sunlight. On the primary facade and near eye level, they were central to a building's appearance.
  

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 Web: http://www.phifer.com/
• Quality Solar Screen Co. distributes Pfifer solar screening fabrics and other related products - Web: www.qualitysolarscreen.com/product_solar.html

...

Continue reading at SOLAR SHADES, LOW-E EFFECTIVENESS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• GREENHOUSE / SUNSPACE GLARE - use shades and louvers for sunlight glare control in buildings
• PASSIVE SOLAR Roof & Window Overhangs - an alternative to solar shades.
• PATIO AWNING INSTALLATION
• SOLAR SHADES, LOW-E EFFECTIVENESS
• WINDOW INSULATION OPTIONS
• WINDOW SHADING TO REDUCE SOLAR GAIN & GLARE

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SOLAR SHADES & SUNSCREENS at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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