[Strawbale] How to protect/cover windows for heat protection?

[Derek Roff]

(I think I may have been too concise in my previous posting.)

Seasonal sun movements are not synchronized with average temperatures, 
in most locations, even thought the sun's movement through the sky is 
pretty symmetrical on either side of the solstice.  For example, where 
I live, August 21st, two months after the summer solstice, might be 15 
degrees C warmer than April 21st, two months before the summer 
solstice, even though the sun's path is similar for the two days.

For this reason, seasonally movable sun shading is frequently useful, 
and daily moveable shades can be a big help where the sun is most 
intense.  Moveable shades that can be moved vertically in front of the 
windows are the easiest to make, but they block some or all of the view 
and light, which is the reason that we have windows.  Overhanging 
shades that that extend horizontally above the windows can block the 
sun, while allowing most of the view to remain.  Pivoting shades to the 
left and right of a window can be moved to block the eastern sun of the 
morning, and western sun of the afternoon, while retaining most of the 
view during most of the day.

I usually think of an extra layer of glass attached outside as a storm 
window, useful in the winter.  But if you can affix some recycled glass 
panels in front of your windows in the summer, you can cut the solar 
energy that enters through the window by more than 50%, depending on 
the solar transmission properties of the add-on glass panel.  This 
approach will retain your view, and cut the light input by a moderate 
amount, resulting in a milder summer lighting level that is generally 
preferable.

Derek


--On Tuesday, July 13, 2010 2:35 AM +0200 Pablo Segundo Garcia 
<pablo2garcia at gmail...> wrote:
Also, if you want to shade the window a lot but want natural light
inside the rooms and not only near the window, some people use white
areas or reflective materials to channel the light horizontally or
upwards.

Those lighting devices can be at the bottom of the window, and then
you can shade with a classic roller shutter; or I have seen horizontal
"window hoverhangs" that were not above the window, but at its highest
third, and shaded elevated summer light (for south faces), and
reflected some light to the insight aiming at the ceiling.


On Tue, Jul 13, 2010 at 12:28 AM, Dave Howorth <dave at howorth....uk> 
wrote:
> On Mon, 2010-07-12 at 23:10 +0000, Neale Brickwood wrote:
>> HI
>>
>> I guess the only solutions would be a roof overhang or veranda or
>> maybe film on the windows
>
> There are a few other possible techniques as well:
> - add a brise soleil
> - grow deciduous plants such as vines to shade the windows
> - add traditional shutters or roller shutters to the windows
>
> Cheers, Dave
>
>> On 12 Jul 2010, at 19:39, SWallat wrote:
>>
>> > Hello,
>> >
>> > our "passive solar" (proper location of the windows in outer walls)
>> > during autumn/spring time works fine to support heating the house
>> > during
>> > the cooler seasons.
>> > During summer we get heat through the windows inside. Any
>> > ideas/recommendations what could be installed to the windows of the
>> > outer walls to protect from "sunray heating"? We have strawbale
infill
>> > walls with wooden panel/cover to protect clay from rain as outer
>> > walls.
>
>
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-- 
Pablo

Derek Roff
Language Learning Center
Ortega Hall 129, MSC03-2100
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
505/277-7368, fax 505/277-3885
Internet: derek at unm...