Shading and Redirecting Light

Shading is the use of building elements to avoid direct sunlight, in order to avoid excessive light or solar heat gain. Redirecting light is the use of building elements to bounce sunlight into more desirable locations in the building. Shading is an important set of strategies for visual comfort and thermal comfort. As such, successful shading is measured by the overall success of visual and thermal comfort. Shading strategies include overhangs, louvers, and vertical fins. Light redirection strategies include light shelves and baffles. All of these strategies can be external to the building or internal, and can be fixed-position or adjustable. Some elements both shade and redirect light at the same time. Both thermal comfort and visual comfort should be considered simultaneously hen designing these elements, as they affect both.

Shades
Shades can !eep the heat and glare of direct sun from coming through indo s, hile still allo ing diffuse light and vie s to enter. "hey can also !eep direct sunlight off of alls or roofs, to reduce cooling loads. #nterior shades do not bloc! solar heat gain, but can bloc! glare and evenout light distribution.

Interior shades can improve visual comfort, but do not block out solar heat gain "he most common form of shade is an exterior fixed hori$ontal overhang. "hese are used on the side of the building facing the sun%s path, sometimes including east and est faces. &o ever, east and est faces often have more need of vertical fins to avoid lo -angled sun. "he side of the building facing a ay from the e'uator needs no shading, except near the e'uator here the sun may be on the north or south side depending on the season. "here are many variations on fixed external shades, to reduce the profile and(or let more diffuse light in.

Common shading strategies Lawrence Berkeley Lab's "Tips for aylighting !ith !indows" #n hot climates, it can be especially useful to shade the building%s roof to avoid solar heat gain. Rooftop solar panels, if placed right, can act as shades and thus perform double duty as energy generators and energy load reducers.

Adaptive Shades
Shading can be designed to allo the sun%s light and heat into the building at some times of day or year, hile rejecting it at other times. "he simplest method for this is to use a fixed hori$ontal overhang hose idth is calculated to shade during summer months hen the sun is high, and allo the sunlight in during inter months hen the sun is at a lo er angle.

"n overhang shades in summer but lets heat in during winter )ou can calculate the si$es for such overhangs on your site ith the *cotect Shading +evice ,i$ard. Shading can also be adapted by ma!ing it movable--either manually operated by occupants or automatically controlled. Such systems can be much more responsive and finely tuned, but they are also more expensive, and re'uire more maintenance and repair over the years. -seroperated systems may re'uire occupant training, and are often not properly used.

Light Shelves and Baffles

"o evenly distribute light, it is often desirable to bounce sunlight off of surfaces. +irect sunlight on or! surfaces often causes glare. Light shelves are devices that both shade vie indo s from glare and bounce light up ard to improve light penetration and distribution.

A light shelf is generally a hori$ontal element positioned above eye level that divides a indo into a vie area on the bottom and a daylighting area on the top. #t can be external, internal, or combined and can either be integral to the building, or mounted upon the building.

" light shelf avoiding glare and pulling daylight deeper into the room Light shelves are most effective on alls facing the sun%s path. on pole-facing alls they simply act as shades. Light shelves on east and est orientations may not bounce light that much further into the spaces, but are an effective means of reducing direct heat gain and glare. *xterior light shelves reduce daylight near the indo but improves the light uniformity. "he recommended depth of an external light shelf is roughly e'ual to its height above the or! plane. "o reduce cooling loads and solar gain, an exterior light shelf is the best compromise bet een re'uirements for shading and distribution of daylight. Because they are only shades, they do not change the ratio of incoming light to heat, but better distribution of light can reduce the amount needed in a space, hich helps ith cooling. Light shelves may be constructed of many materials, such as ood, metal panels, glass, plastic, fabric, or acoustic ceiling materials. /onsiderations that affect the choice of material include structural strength, ease of maintenance, cost, and aesthetics. Light shelves and vertical fins do not need to be opa'ue. hen they are transparent but diffusive, they can help evenly distribute light ithout reducing the total amount of light significantly.

iffusing glass fins on a west#facing wall help distribute light evenly without reducing incident light$

Si$ing Light Shelves

"he orientation, height, position 0internal, external, or both1, and depth of the light shelf are critical. A rule of thumb is that the depth of the internal light shelf be approximately e'ual to the height of the clerestory indo head above the shelf. 2ptimal idth and placement of light shelves depends on the site%s location and climate. "o simulate this, you can useAutodes! *cotect soft are.

Baffles
,hen light shelves are oriented vertically, they are !no n as baffles. "hey are used ith s!ylights or roof monitors to better distribute daylight and avoid glare. +esigning the optimal height and placement of baffles is done the same ay as designing light shelves.

Baffles in a roof monitor avoid direct glare while bringing in the sun's full brightness

ADJUSTABLE SHADING Adjustable shading allows the user to choose the desired le el o! shade" This is #articularl$ use!ul in s#ring and autu%n when heating & cooling needs are ariable" Note' acti e s$ste%s re(uire acti e users" )li%ate )hange )li%ate change does not a!!ect sun angles* but the desirabilit$ o! shade or solar gain %a$ change* this a!!ecting the o erall design strateg$"

Adjustable shading +%echanical or seasonal egetation, will !acilitate ada#tation to changing cli%atic conditions" Northern ele ations Adjustable shading a##ro#riate !or northern ele ations includes adjustable awnings or hori-ontal lou re s$ste%s abo e gla-ing* and re%o able shadecloth o er #ergolas or sails" Shadecloth is a #articularl$ !le.ible and low cost solution"

Eastern and western ele ations Adjustable shading is #articularl$ use!ul !or eastern and western ele ations* as the low angle o! the sun %a/es it di!!icult to get ade(uate #rotection !ro% !i.ed shading" Adjustable shading gi es greater control while enabling da$light le els and iews to be %ani#ulated" A##ro#riate adjustable s$ste%s include sliding screens* lou re screens* shutters* retractable awnings and adjustable e.ternal blinds" North0east and north0west ele ations Adjustable shading is reco%%ended !or these ele ations as the$ recei e a co%bination o! high and low angle sun throughout the da$" T$#ical res#onses !or northern and eastern or western ele ations need to be integrated" Select s$ste%s which allow the user to e.clude all sun in su%%er* choose !ull sun in winter* and %ani#ulate sun le els at other ti%es" )LI1ATE S2E)I3I) 4ES25NSES Hot hu%id cli%ates and Hot dr$ cli%ates with war% winters' Shade the building and outdoor li ing s#aces throughout the $ear" All other cli%ates' Use a##ro#riate #assi e solar design #rinci#les" 6See' Australia's Climate Zones7 4.1 Passive Design7 4.5 Passive Solar Heating7 4.6 Passive Cooling8

Hot hu%id cli%ates Shade all e.ternal o#enings and walls including those !acing south" Use co ered outdoor li ing areas such as erandahs and dee# balconies to shade and cool inco%ing air" Use shaded s/$lights to co%#ensate !or an$ resultant loss o! natural da$light"

)hoose and #osition landsca#e to #ro ide ade(uate shade without bloc/ing access to cooling bree-es" Use #lanting instead o! #a ing* to reduce ground te%#erature and the a%ount o! re!lected heat" A 9!l$ roo!9 can be used to shade the entire building" It #rotects the core building !ro% radiant heat and allows cooling bree-es to !low beneath it" Hot dr$ cli%ates

Shade all e.ternal o#enings in regions where no winter heating is re(uired" 2ro ide #assi e solar shading to north !acing o#enings in regions where winter heating is re(uired" A oid shading an$ #ortion o! the glass in winter 0 use u#ward ra/ed ea es to allow !ull winter solar access* or increase the distance between the window head and the underside o! the ea e" Use adjustable shade screens or dee# o erhangs +or a co%bination o! both, to the east and west" Dee# co ered balconies or erandahs shade and cool inco%ing air and #ro ide #leasant outdoor li ing s#ace" 2lace a shaded court$ard ne.t to the %ain li ing areas to act as a cool air well" Tall* narrow* generousl$ #lanted court$ards are the %ost e!!ecti e when #ositioned so that the$ are shaded b$ the house"

Use #lanting instead o! #a ing* to reduce ground te%#erature and the a%ount o! re!lected heat" :ar% hu%id and war%;%ild te%#erate cli%ates

2ro ide #assi e solar shading to all north !acing o#enings* using shade structures or correctl$ si-ed ea es Use adjustable shade screens or dee# o erhangs to the east and west" Adjustable shade screens are the %ost e!!ecti e at e.cluding low angle sun" )ool te%#erate cli%ates Do not #lace dee# co ered balconies to the north as the$ will obstruct winter sun" Balconies to the east or west can also obstruct winter sun to a lesser e.tent A oid shading an$ #ortion o! the north !acing glass in winter0 use u#ward ra/ed ea es to allow !ull winter solar access* or increase the distance between the window head and the underside o! the ea e" Use deciduous #lanting to the east and west" A oid #lanting to the north which obstructs solar access" USING 2LANTS 354 SHADING 1atch #lant characteristics +such as !oliage densit$* cano#$ height and s#read, to shading re(uire%ents" )hoose local nati e s#ecies with low water re(uire%ents where er #ossible" In addition to #ro iding shade* #lants can assist cooling b$ trans#iration" 2lants also enhance the isual en iron%ent and create #leasant !iltered light" 6See' 2.4 Sustainable Lands a!es8

Deciduous #lants allow winter sun through and e.clude su%%er sun" Trees with high cano#ies are use!ul !or shading roo!s and large #ortions o! the building structure"

Shrubs are a##ro#riate !or %ore localised shading o! windows" :all ines and ground co er insulate against su%%er heat and reduce re!lected radiation" SHADING AND DA<LIGHT )hoose shading %ethods that allow ade(uate a%ounts o! da$light into the building while #re enting unwanted heat gain" Select #lants that allow !iltered light into the building" 6See' 2.4 Sustainable Lands a!es8 Design gla-ing to ad%it %a.i%u% light !or %ini%u% heat gain" )lear sections in erandah roo!s can be use!ul" 6See' 4.1" #la$ing8 Light coloured e.ternal sur!aces or shading de ices re!lect %ore light into the building" De#ending on the situation this can be bene!icial* or it can create unwanted glare" SHADING 354 A HEALTHIE4 EN=I45N1ENT A##ro#riate shading #ractices reduce the chance o! e.#osure to har%!ul U= ra$s" 2lanting is a low cost* low energ$ #ro ider o! shade that i%#ro es air (ualit$ b$ !iltering #ollutants"