What is solar shading and how can it improve energy efficiency?

In a bid to tackle the ever-increasing cost of energy, the government has assigned more funding than ever before to improving energy efficiency within UK households. The aim is not just to reduce prices, but to reduce energy consumption and contribute to net-zero sustainability goals too. Solar shading will play a huge role in achieving this. So, what is solar shading exactly? And how will it help UK households use less energy?

Solar shading (sometimes referred to as ‘solar control’ or ‘solar protection’) is the term used to identify a number of systems that can be used to control the amount of solar heat gain and visible light that is let into a building or room. Solar shading can have a significant impact on the energy use of a property, as well as on the thermal and visual comfort of occupants, protecting against overheating and glare on hot and sunny days.

The British Blind and Shutter Association (BBSA) report that solar shading products, such as shutters, blinds, and awnings can play an important part in meeting the government’s goal to dramatically improve the energy efficiency of UK homes. This is because they are one of the easiest and cheapest ways to improve energy efficiency and prevent overheating. Shutters and other internal and external shading products are passive cooling and heating solutions which have been successfully used to keep properties warm and cool, and ultimately save energy, for hundreds of years.

For example, wooden shutters help to retain heat during the winter by acting as an added barrier to heat loss and help keep rooms cooler in the summer by preventing heat from entering. In fact, in some recent customer research we conducted, we found that: