Shading and Daylight Systems

Shading can have an impact on both building’s energy balance affecting not only annual energy consumption but peak loads as well. In addition influences users’ visual and thermal comfort. Proper selection of shading system is a key factor for reducing unwanted solar gains satisfying simultaneously daylight adequacy and aesthetic desires. With today’s pressing problem of global warming, optimization of building facade in terms of daylighting/solar radiation control can be considered as a corner stone strategy for low-energy building design. This chapter present basic information on the parameters that affect the selection of shading & daylighting systems. This includes a review of metrics used to characterize these systems according various European norms and energy codes. Antagonistic phenomena are discussed in detail together with synergies with glazing selection. In addition a number of selected systems are presented along with their operational principles.