Protection from summer heat aims to prevent rooms from overheating due to sunlight and high outdoor temperatures. Sun shading is particularly effective when installed outside the glazing, where it can intercept solar radiation before it enters. The right solution depends on factors including window area, orientation, glazing, room use and daylight needs. Find out which sun shading products from WAREMA can help protect against summer heat.
External sun shading helps protect against summer heat by reducing solar radiation before it reaches the glazing. This means less heat enters the room. It can lower the risk of overheating in summer while still allowing daylight.
WAREMA offers sun shading products for windows and facades. Complementary solutions for terraces, balconies and conservatories provide shade tailored to how each space is used. The right solution depends on the installation, intended use and desired functions.
Air conditioning is often the first solution that comes to mind, but it is expensive to buy and also increases energy consumption. Many people do not realize that external sun shading products such as venetian blinds, roller shutters and window awnings can reduce solar heat gain before it reaches the glazing and therefore limit overheating in summer. A patio awning can also help prevent rooms from getting too hot. It shades windows and doors behind it, protects walkways from the sun and still lets daylight through.
A comfortable indoor climate with external venetian blinds.
Heat protection for your windows.
Fabric screens for a comfortable indoor climate.
Sun shading helps prevent rooms from overheating when outdoor temperatures are high. WAREMA building physicist Markus Schwab explains how it works and which sun shading product is right for your needs.
- Sun shading does not actively cool a room. External systems can, however, reduce solar heat gain before it reaches the glazing and thereby limit overheating.
- Depending on their design, external venetian blinds, roller shutters and window awnings block some solar radiation before it reaches the glazing. Their effect depends on the product, color, opening position, glazing and installation.
- External venetian blinds and window awnings are especially useful where daylight and a view outside matter as well as heat protection. External venetian blinds also allow precise light control.
- Roller shutters can be useful in bedrooms where privacy and darkening are desired in addition to protection from summer heat.
Automation can support protection from summer heat: controls can move the sun shading in time based on sensor readings and settings, even when nobody is at home.
Automatic controls, such as the WMS wireless system from WAREMA, can move sun shading based on sensor readings and selected settings. This allows the shade to be activated before a room heats up significantly.
Depending on the system, automatic sequences and manual operation via an app are possible. The right settings depend on the building, its use and the desired amount of daylight.
Sun shading can also be used effectively without automatic controls. The key is to limit direct sunlight while still making good use of daylight.
- When someone is at home, the sun shading should be open just enough to provide sufficient daylight indoors. External venetian blinds can be adjusted to the sun's position with their tilting, movable slats even without automation. Avoid direct sunlight entering the room to prevent overheating.
- Even when the sun does not shine directly on the facade, it makes sense to close the sun shading as far as possible while retaining enough daylight, because diffuse sunlight also warms the room.
- When nobody is home or a room is not in use, it is best to close the sun shading as far as possible.
- At night, or whenever it is cooler outside than inside, raise the sun shading and open the windows to ventilate. Lower the sun shading again in the early morning, before sunrise.
Please note: With plastic roller shutters, all light slots should be open at temperatures above 30 °C. Otherwise the shutter curtain may deform.
Did you know? External sun shading can reduce solar heat gain. For a building with around 100 m2 of floor area, as for any other building, the energy demand of sun shading drives and building cooling depends greatly on the system, use, building and operating time. External sun shading can reduce cooling loads, but it does not replace active cooling in every building.
Color, material and openness affect light transmission, heat absorption and daylight. Their effect varies by product and should be assessed together with the installation conditions.
- The darker the fabric, the lower its light transmission and the resulting energy gain. That is why a darker color is worth considering for awnings, whether on the terrace or in front of windows.
- Daylight should also be considered with external venetian blinds, otherwise additional artificial light may be needed. Light transmission can be controlled through the slat angle or opening position, so color is less important here.
- Even though partly closed roller shutters can let some light into the room, light colors are generally preferable because they absorb less heat.
Anyone who considers sun shading during planning or renovation can coordinate indoor comfort and the building's energy consumption more effectively. WAREMA's project consulting team can support you from the planning phase onwards.
Visit us at one of our Sunlight Experience Centres or contact your local WAREMA specialist retailer for advice and a project-specific quotation. The specialist dealer search helps you find a suitable contact in your area.
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The WAREMA brand stands for high-quality sun shading solutions that adapt flexibly to your life. As a leading European manufacturer, the family-owned company develops individual solutions for windows, patios, balconies and outdoor areas. The portfolio ranges from external venetian blinds and roller shutters to awnings and patio roofs, as well as insect screens and intelligent sun shading control systems. In cooperation with qualified specialist companies, all solutions are carefully planned and professionally installed on site. You benefit from long-lasting quality, reliable service and enhanced comfort – for a harmonious interplay of light, shade and living space, today and in the future.