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



(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@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@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@unm...