Performance classifications of blinds
Performance classifications of blinds: important for the facade industry
As already stipulated in BENG, solar shading plays an important role in the overall façade. Certainly in our country, where the climate is very variable: sunshine and clouds alternate - sometimes at very short intervals. The function of sun protection is in fact to block the incidence of sun and to regulate the incidence of light. A number of classifications have been defined within the European standard (EN14501 Blinds and shutters) and have recently been updated.
Date
- 20 May 2021
We talk about it with Evert Bos and Lindsay Hovenier from Verosol. A leading and progressive company that specializes in the design, manufacture and distribution of top-quality metallised window coverings. "Verosol stands for 'heat control, light control & view through'," says Hovenier. "So it also stands for 'glare control'. And together, these are precisely the points on which the standard is based."
A lot of overlap with daylight standard and Breeam-NL
The performance class for 'glare control' is described in EN14501 and has been significantly modified in the 2021 version. BREEAM-NL has used the EN14501:2005 standard for the HEA-3. Bos expects that BREEAM-NL will also follow the updated tables and that this will also have consequences for the sun blinds to be used. According to Bos, the updated standard has a lot of overlap with the daylight standard EN17037:2018. He explains: "Both standards contain the same selection tables as an aid for making a choice of the minimum performance class that the sun blinds must meet." The facade orientation and the location of the building are considered, but also the glass type and the position of the workstations in relation to the window. After all, it is the way the space is used that determines which value, light factor or sun factor, is the most important for the users." The tables are based on the Daylight Glare Probability (DGP); the probability of the occurrence of glare.
Reference glazing renewed and expanded
The reference glazing as we have known it for years has also been significantly updated and expanded. "A good thing", according to Bos, "because these new glasses are much more in line with current building practices. For performance determinations of interior glazing, it is important to have detailed information. That is now possible."
Targeted product development
As a member of the standards committee, Verosol had been opting for a new classification method for years, and included issues from the industry in this. "It is important that thermal comfort is optimally balanced with visual comfort," says Bos, "but with retention of transparency. Our Expert Centre is involved in many projects and we know exactly what is going on in the market. In its product development, Verosol has cleverly anticipated the demand from the market and the new standardization that was just around the corner. "In developing our ClearView screen fabric, we have found the perfect balance between see-through and control of heat, light and glare," adds Hovenier. Three important categories from the new classification method.
Seeing is believing
Bos: "When developing, the aim was to create a fabric with the best view-through combined with a low openness factor." Verosol sees the new standards as an aid for advisers to recommend the right blinds. "It is sometimes quite a challenge to explain relatively abstract concepts such as glare factor and transparency. It's much more about perception and experience", says Hovenier. "That's why Verosol works with the Heat & Light Kit, so that clients can experience for themselves how a product repels heat and glare and what the transparency is then. Of course, we are always fully up to date with the latest standards and we advise and support the customer. In doing so, we look at the wishes or requirements from the project and the total picture", concludes Bos.