When designing brise soleil, a number of factors need to be considered.
- The sun rises in the east and sets in the west
- In Ireland and the UK, the sun rises to a maximum angle of 62 degrees in the summer
- In summer temperatures rise from single digits to high-teens and early twenties
- Summertime brings with it an extra 4-5 hours of sunlight per day
When you combine all these factors, it leads to a ‘greenhouse effect’ on the internal environment of the building. Blinding sunlight shines through the large glass panels and temperatures rise to an uncomfortable level.
Brise soleil blades are designed to control the level of sunlight entering the building, which subsequently lowers the temperature. This makes for a more comfortable experience for the occupiers and substantially reduces the ‘greenhouse effect’.
In the winter months, the sun sits lower in the sky and the internal environment of the building benefits from the natural warmth of the sun, whilst still maintaining partial shading.