Exterior sunshades: for the thermal and visual comfort of interior spaces
Exterior aluminium sunshades help reduce the carbon footprint of buildings while improving their energy performance and enhancing their architectural appearance. How? By limiting unwanted solar heat gain, providing solar shading for the comfort and well-being of users. The introduction of France's RE2020 environmental regulation encourages this ecological approach by requiring builders to construct passive energy buildings for thermal comfort, but sunshades also promote the visual comfort of the interior space.
Providing Effective Solar Shading
As the name suggests, such a device is designed to protect you from the sun's rays and ultraviolet light. Made of aluminium, the louvers making up the exterior sunshade can be fixed, adjustable, motorized, or even automated to obtain the ideal level of shading for each situation. With adjustable or removable louvers, you have the possibility to adjust the tilt of the blades. The wider the louver pitch is, the more light you let in, and vice-versa.
Different sunshade models
Today, there are two main families of sunshades for buildings :
- Simple Horizontal / Vertical : ideal for terraces and glass surfaces, they offer a simple installation solution. Generally fixed, they protect against the sun's rays and are installed according to the building's orientation and the users' needs. Careful not to confuse these with sunshade blinds (venetian blinds), which are retractable !
- Adjustable blade sunshades (BSO-R) : sharing the same objective, the main advantage of the adjustable blade sunshade (commonly known as BSO-R) is that it offers greater control over solar shading level, as it can be adjusted manually or automatically, offering solar protection adapted to each situation and your actual needs.
Feel free to consult our dedicated article on the difference between sunshade blades and sunshade blinds to learn more. In both cases, you benefit from optimal thermal protection and energy savings.
Avoiding overheating, heat loss, and preserving natural light
Depending on the region, summer overheating can cause discomfort for users, especially for south-facing buildings that receive high exposure. East and west-facing windows receive low-angled sun rays; adjustable louver sunshades are particularly beneficial for protecting against heat in the summer.
While other options are available, the exterior sunshade remains the benchmark for stopping solar radiation without blocking natural light. Nevertheless, the BSO must be custom-made to have the correct dimensions : one must not forget that in summer, the sun is higher than in winter. During the winter period, the sunshade creates a very interesting buffer zone from a thermal point of view. Indeed, it protects against drafts caused by wind, limiting thermal loss.
Thanks to the sun's heat gain, one benefit from passive solar heat gains during winter and overusing ventilation/air conditioning systems in summer : a guarantee of energy and financial savings. From a visual point of view, tilted louvers not only provide protection from the sun but also from prying eyes while maintaining a visual link with the outdoors.
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