Optimizing Shade Solutions: The Role of Solar Studies in Commercial Design

Like Rodney Dangerfield, window shades often get no respect. Building occupants see them as merely decorative, ignoring the role shades play in reducing glare and keeping commercial spaces cool. However, savvy architects and building designers know that the right window shades make all the difference when it comes to enhancing occupant comfort and productivity.

Discover how solar studies and other forms of climate-based daylight modeling can help you choose the right commercial window shades for your project.

Introduction to Solar Studies and Climate-Based Daylight Modeling

Climate-based daylight modeling allows you to predict lighting conditions based on the sun's position and other sky conditions. For example, you can use CBDM to assess radiance, luminance and other qualities. One way to incorporate CBDM into your design or development processes is to conduct solar studies for every new project.

A solar study helps you visualize the potential effects of sunlight on the interior and exterior of a building. You can use the following types of solar studies to make better decisions:

• Still. A still solar study allows you to visualize shadow patterns for a specific date and time, such as October 12, 2024, at 1:00 p.m.

• Single-day. If you need to visualize shadow patterns for several time intervals, do a single-day study. This type of solar study allows you to see anticipated shadow patterns for multiple intervals on a specific date, such as 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on September 18, 2024.

• Multi-day. Multi-day solar studies give you even more information to guide your design decisions. You can use this type of study to visualize the shadow patterns for a specific time during a long period of time, such as 1 month or 1 year. For example, if you're designing a new office building, you can visualize the shadow patterns for 1 p.m. on August 1 through August 30.

• Lighting. A lighting study allows you to specify a sun position and visualize the corresponding shadow patterns. This differs from other types of solar studies because it relies on the selected sun position rather than the date and time.

CBDM is essential for commercial projects, as it helps you anticipate the amount of heat and light available under different sky conditions. For example, if you know that a conference room receives much more natural light than the rest of the rooms in the building, you can take additional steps to protect occupants from glare and high temperatures.

The Role of Solar Studies in Selecting Window Shades

Solar studies give you important information about lighting conditions at a project site. You can use this information to make better decisions regarding window shades. For example, a solar study can help you determine which rooms are likely to get hottest in the middle of the day or which spaces need extra shades to prevent glare on televisions, computer screens and tablets.

Once you complete a solar study, it's important to choose customized, energy-efficient shading solutions. No two projects are exactly the same, so you need a tailored shading plan to optimize natural light without increasing the temperature or forcing building occupants to squint all day. Designers and building owners should choose custom shading solutions based on these factors:

• Aesthetic preferences

• Presence of glazes or solar films on windows

• Occupant experience

• Climate and weather conditions

• Building location

Solar studies also make it easier to develop and implement a daylighting plan for commercial spaces. Daylighting is the use of natural light to reduce energy usage. Although natural light is a welcome addition to commercial buildings, it's possible to have too much of a good thing. Custom window treatments make it easier to reap the benefits of daylighting without exposing occupants to uncomfortable levels of natural light.

Examples of Shading Solutions

Once you complete a solar study, you can choose the right shading solutions for your project. These are just a few of your options:

• Horizontal shading. A horizontal shading system controls the amount of natural light indoors and creates a shaded area around the perimeter of a building. This type of system is ideal if you're working with a client whose employees enjoy eating lunch outdoors. It also works well for clients who use exterior spaces to sell products and services. For example, a large landscaping company may sell mulch, paving stones and other supplies, creating the need for a shaded outdoor area.

• Glazing system. Low-emissivity coatings reflect infrared light, reducing the temperature in offices and other commercial spaces. When combined with double-paned windows and custom shading solutions, glazing makes it even easier to reach your client's sustainability goals while enhancing occupant comfort.

• Fixed solar shading. Fixed solar shading systems enhance privacy and reduce heat gain. These systems also reduce glare without blocking natural light.

Leveraging Design-Assist Services for Optimal Shading Solutions

Contexture offers Design-Assist services to help designers, architects and building owners make wise decisions regarding solar shading, acoustics and energy efficiency. The Design-Assist team follows a three-step process to ensure you receive recommendations tailored to your unique needs:

1. Consult. We offer a complimentary consultation to help us better understand your design intentions and performance goals. Following the initial consult, we'll make recommendations based on your budget and project scope.

2. Discovery and analysis. During the discovery and analysis phase, we use information from several sources to determine which solutions make the most sense for your project. For example, we incorporate the data from solar studies into a plan to optimize your indoor environment with window shades.

3. Deliverables. Finally, we deliver comprehensive architectural and written specifications to help you reach your goals. We consider the cost, potential benefits and anticipated operational impact of every recommendation.

Partnering with us early in the design phase makes it easier to bring your vision to life, as we can help you choose appropriate shading solutions right from the start. If you wait until later in the design process, you may have to make costly project changes, making it more difficult to stay under budget. Experts guide you through the entire process, ensuring you understand exactly what to expect in terms of performance and return on investment.

Case Studies and Examples

Contexture worked with the design team for 71 Border, a condo development in Boston. At first, project designers wanted solar tracking programming, which can be extremely expensive. However, the solar analysis performed by Contexture revealed that vertical mullion fins and existing overhangs provided adequate shading of the façade on the east and west sides of the building.

Contexture then conducted a time study, which made it possible to determine when the sun left the east elevation and hit the west elevation. Our Design-Assist experts recommended a simple schedule, saving the client a significant amount of money. It turns out 71 Border didn't need solar tracking programming, as the exposure was fairly predictable.

Contexture was also involved with the Commonwealth Pier project in Boston. We did extensive studies of the north elevation and the interior courtyards to determine the best place to add shades.

Benefits of Optimized Shading Solutions

Optimized shading solutions have several benefits for designers, architects and commercial building owners. First, shades reduce energy usage by controlling the amount of natural light in each space. This prevents interior spaces from heating up and forcing cooling systems to run more than necessary.

Solar shading solutions also enhance occupant comfort and productivity. Instead of squinting at their screens or fighting over the ideal thermostat setting, occupants can focus on the task at hand. Finally, incorporating solar shades into your designs enhances sustainability and helps you maximize your long-term ROI. With optimized shading solutions, it's possible to increase energy efficiency and reduce operational expenses.

Partner With the Design-Assist Team

To maximize the benefits of solar shading systems, partner with Contexture's Design-Assist team as early as possible in the design process. Reach out today to discuss how we can help you increase occupant comfort, reduce energy usage and meet your design goals.