Are buildings in Europe prepared for heatwaves?
"Rapid global warming has caused heatwaves and other extreme temperatures in recent years. In Europe, heatwaves are at least five times more likely," said Damian Carrington, environment editor at the UK Guardian, last summer. Scientists say that temperatures during heatwaves are about 4°C hotter than a century ago. Last March, average temperatures were almost two degrees Celsius above the average for the years 1981 to 2010 , according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Are buildings in Europe equipped to protect their occupants from this extreme heat? And if so, is this being done in a cost-effective and, above all, energy-efficient way?
Summers are getting hotter, starting earlier and possibly lasting longer. It is well known that these high temperatures are hard onolder people and those with pre-existing conditions , but the younger generation is also looking for more comfort and a healthy indoor lifestyle. Architects, engineers and construction companies are looking for energy-efficient solutions to control the indoor climate and governments are also beginning to understand the negative effects of overheating in buildings. In the future, clear guidelines will be the key to cost- and energy-efficient building cooling.
According to the ES-SO, the European Solar Shading Organization, the answer is clear: "Solar shading must become a key factor for all buildings in Europe to prevent them from overheating in the future. Solar shading is the most cost-effective solution on the market and has a direct impact on health, comfort and energy savings".
Simple yet effective
Solar shading refers to the external and internal systems that prevent overheating by regulating the amount of heat and light from the sun that enters through windows and glazed facades. Solar shading devices are as old as ancient Egyptian, Islamic or Persian culture. Over the years, many innovative solar shading solutions (such as External Venetian Blinds, awnings, Textile Screens, etc.) have been developed. The pioneers have built up a highly developed sun shading industry that now employs hundreds of thousands of people around the world. In Europe alone, around 400,000 people work in the sun shading industry. This specialized manufacturing industry, which works as a partner to the construction industry, consists of many global companies, including those in the field of hi-tech Fabrics, motorized controls and home automation, through to manufacturers of the sun shading products themselves.
Taking the heat into account
In order to calculate the direct effects on heat and light transmission, leading companies in the sun shading industry have developed a detailed database and calculation model called ES-SDA together with the ES-SO. This European database consists of peer-reviewed solar shading performance data verified to CEN/ISO standards. The tool helps solar shading experts to accurately advise the construction industry on the right choice for automatic solar shading and the impact on the indoor climate of the future building. In this way, cases like the following can be avoided: In an old converted office building in north London, temperatures of an incredibly hot 47.5°C were reached during a warm September without shading. By using external shading (External Venetian Blinds, Roller Shutters or Textile Screens) the temperature could have been reduced to a more comfortable 28°C.
Better prevention than cure
Automated solar shading systems prevent rooms from heating up, avoid the need for electric cooling, thereby reducing energy consumption and contributing to greater comfort in all weather conditions. The amount of energy used to cool buildings worldwide has doubled since 2000 and, without efficiency improvements, even this figure could triple again by 2050. At what cost? For higher energy bills? Or worse, for not achieving our climate targets? With regular heatwaves and extreme temperatures, solar shading will be a crucial means of preventing buildings from overheating in an energy-efficient way. The ES-SO aims to focus on the positive effects of smart solar shading solutions on controlling the indoor climate, thereby supporting the EU's ambitious energy efficiency targets. According to a 2015 study by ES-SO, solar shading can achieve energy savings of 22% and reduceCO2 emissions in buildings in Europe by 137 million tons per year.
Keeping a cool head with External Venetian Blinds
This new residential building in southern Germany is equipped with External Venetian Blinds. External Venetian Blinds allow you to keep a cool head even in the heat and determine how much light you let into your rooms. These external sun shading systems are automatically controlled and allow daylight to be steplessly directed. The almost tightly closing slats allow you to prevent overheating. This saves you a lot of money on air conditioning without having to sacrifice daylight. A specialist sun shading company can advise you on your individual, energy-efficient sun shading system.
ABOUT ES-SO
ES-SO is a non-profit organization based in Brussels. The aim of ES-SO is to focus on the positive effects of sun shading solutions on the indoor climate and thus support the EU's ambitious energy efficiency targets. The ES-SO serves as an umbrella organization for sun shading associations within the EU. The European sun shading industry employs more than 400,000 people in the 27 member states and generates an annual turnover of over 15 billion euros. Based in Brussels, the ES-SO is ideally placed to ensure that the industry's voice is heard and that it can make a positive contribution to the EU's energy targets. The ES-SO is also involved in various EU projects and acts in both an advisory and contributory capacity.
This news item was published in German by ROMA on behalf of ES-SO, the European Solar Shading Organization.