Roller Blinds Research Articles

Control algorithm for dynamic solar shadings: A simulation study for office buildings based on ISO 52016-3

In 2019, the building sector was accountable for emitting 12GtCO2, equivalent to 21 % of global GHG emissions. To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the building sector must change its pace. One of the ways to achieve this goal is through the installation of dynamic solar shadings in buildings. This study focuses on a single office in two locations characterised by a temperate climate: Liège (Belgium) and Milan (Italy). Two control strategies are designed for Venetian and Roller blinds, one with and one without glare evaluation. They both integrate horizontal illuminance, room occupancy, indoor operative temperature and vertical irradiance according to a multi-criteria approach based on ISO 52016-3. The control strategy aims to balance visual comfort, heating, artificial lighting and cooling energy needs and considers user satisfaction by evaluating the shading activation time. The control algorithms are applied and validated on a DesignBuilder shoebox model. Regardless of location, the control strategy that includes glare control improves the user's visual comfort in terms of light quantity and discomfort glare. However, a total annual energy needs increase is registered independently of the shading. Conversely, if glare is not included in the control strategy, control of thermal loads is observed. This work contributed to developing ISO 52016-3 shading control scenarios for offices and is intended for shading producers, solar shading associations, façade engineers, facility managers and the scientific community working on solar shading simulation and analysis.

The effect of internal blinds on thermal comfort: An experimental analysis in an office room with radiant panels

This study investigated the impact of two types of internal blinds on the indoor thermal environment of a highly glazed office room in Istanbul during summer. The research examined four configurations: (i) no blinds, (ii) roller blinds, (iii) layered roller blinds in night mode and (iv) layered roller blinds in day mode. Measurements of air velocity, average radiation temperature, air temperature and relative humidity were conducted to assess thermal comfort. The findings revealed that internal blinds significantly influence thermal comfort in radiantly cooled office spaces during summer. Without blinds, the indoor environment only met ISO 7730 comfort category C, with average predicted mean vote (PMV) and predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD) values of 0.6 and 12.5%, respectively. However, with internal blinds, comfort categories A and B were achieved, resulting in improved thermal comfort levels, with average PMV and PPD values ranging from 0.2 to 0.3 and 6% to 7.5%, respectively. Roller blinds, in particular, proved highly effective in enhancing thermal comfort and reducing mean radiant and indoor air temperatures in highly glazed radiant cooling offices. This demonstrated their energy-efficient potential for improving indoor thermal comfort.

Aesthetic and Thermal Suitability of Highly Glazed Spaces with Interior Roller Blinds in Najran University Buildings, Saudi Arabia

Highly glazed spaces are visually appealing and trendy, but effectively managing their temperature in hot arid climates remains a significant challenge. This study evaluates the effectiveness of dark-tinted double low-E glass with internal roller blinds in reducing heat gain in glazed spaces in hot arid climates and investigates architects’ perspectives on these facades. It combines field measurements and a survey to assess the balance between thermal control and aesthetics in such environments. This study reveals that the current glazing significantly attenuates solar radiation ingress, evidenced by a marked indoor-–outdoor temperature differential (ΔT) of approximately 9.2 °C. The mean radiant temperature registers at 1.5 °C above the indoor air temperature, which can be attributed to the glazing’s propensity to absorb and retain solar heat, resulting in an inner glass surface temperature of 43 °C. The implementation of adjustable blinds has a dynamic influence on the heat transfer coefficient (HTC), effectively modulating the temperature by impeding natural convection currents. With the blinds retracted, the HTC stands at an average of 7.1 W/m2K, which diminishes to 5 W/m2K when the blinds are 50% closed and further reduces to 4.2 W/m2K when the blinds are fully closed (100%). Survey results suggest that architects prioritise glazed facades for aesthetics (52%) while facing challenges in thermal and energy efficiency (44%). Future studies should concentrate on developing novel glazing systems that integrate solutions for visual appeal, lighting and thermal efficiency in glazed facades, particularly in hot arid climates.

Influence of Window Roller Blinds on Energy Consumption in Residential Buildings in Serbia

Abstract Roller blinds are devices that are retracted and wrapped in a box above the window opening and are used to protect against the solar radiation. Those are the wellknown devices with distinct advantages over the fixed external dimming elements. The influence of external blinds on the internal thermal environment in climatic conditions in the Republic of Serbia, the city of Kragujevac, was considered in this research. An external blind was installed in the test room and its influence on the internal temperature was compared with the internal temperature of the room without the blind. Real-time monitoring was carried out in February and August 2023. The results presented in this paper show that the blind reduces the temperature in summer by 3.57ºC and increases it in winter by 1.76ºC. The cooling load can be reduced by about 20%, and the heat load by about 15%.

Analysis of thermal solutions in challenging spots of masonry constructions

AbstractAutoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is a construction material with very good thermal properties. In many countries, the majority of masonry structures are developed using a single wall from low‐density AAC. In some countries, like Poland, the most popular solution is an AAC construction wall with covering insulation material. In the house construction process, several challenging spots can be observed where thermal bridges can develop. One of them will be the place of installation of external window roller blinds on a reinforced concrete lintel or an aerated concrete lintel. In fact, there are several solutions to this problem, but there is no clear answer in the literature about which of those will be optimal in terms of reducing the loss of thermal energy, the cost of which is growing year by year. The research program includes tests of the thermal conductivity of a wall unit built of AAC of various density classes, with the most popular thermal insulation materials available on the market, such as: EPS polystyrene, XPS polystyrene, or aluminum mats.

Electrochromic Glass Design with Solar Energy

With the effect of the use of non-renewable energy sources, our world is facing the danger ofglobal warming. The use of fossil fuels increases the rate of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere,and thus, global warming, unfortunately, brings climate changes with it. Minimizing this danger can onlybe achieved by turning humanity towards renewable energy sources. Solar energy is a reliable,environmentally friendly and inexpensive source. The aim of this study is to perform the electrochromicglass by using solar energy without any electricity costs and thus to encourage people to more renewableenergy technologies. In this study, it is desired to present a new technology design that is an alternative tothe classical window glasses used in our country by using solar energy. The solar panel converts the sun'senergy into electrical energy by using solar energy, and with this electrical energy, the opaqueelectrochromic glass changes color and becomes transparent. Thus, the glass makes the interior of the roomshow with this color change. This system, which works with a photovoltaic panel, operates theelectrochromic glass with solar energy without the need for extra energy. For example, with this system, italso eliminates the need for curtains or roller blinds used in working and living areas and provide ease ofuse according to the desired conditions. This system can be used not only for this purpose, but alsoanywhere that is required for smart glass design and has solar energy potential. For this study,electrochromic smart glass obtained by placing polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) smart materialand this material was sandwiched between indium tin oxide window films with the help of Polyvinyl butyral(PVB) layer. This electrochromic glass system is designed by connecting the connection cable and the onoff switch cable to the photovoltaic panel. In this study, electrochromic glass performance was tried to beanalyzed depending on the exposure time of the photovoltaic panel in the sun.

Comparison of control parameters for roller blinds

Roller blinds can reduce the heating and cooling building energy consumption required to maintain thermal comfort. The effectiveness of roller blinds is influenced by the strategies and input parameters for their control. This study is the first to identify the most effective of seven alternative control parameters to control roller blinds. It further defines the benefits from using paired control parameters to maximise energy savings and optimise occupants’ comfort. For the particular case studies and conditions examined, it is concluded that operating roller blinds using indoor air temperature as a single control parameter with rule-based controller provided, 16 %, 19 % and 45 % in heating, cooling and lighting energy savings in Dublin, Berlin and Madrid respectively compared to a window without roller blinds, with an average 51 % daylight discomfort reduction. Using both internal temperature and outdoor ambient temperature to control the roller blinds had little effect on energy need, with only a further 0.6 %, 0.5 % and 0.3 % energy savings and an average of 2 % reduction in daylight discomfort achieved compared to using solely indoor temperature as the control parameter.

Overheating analysis of optimized nearly Zero-Energy dwelling during current and future heatwaves coincided with cooling system outage

It is expected that heatwaves will strike more frequently and with higher temperatures with the continuation of global warming. More extreme heatwaves concurrent with disruptions in the cooling system can lead to significant overheating problems in buildings affecting occupants’ health, productivity, and comfort. This paper projects current and future heatwaves on an optimized nearly Zero-Energy terraced dwelling in Brussels, assuming the outage of the cooling system. Initially, a multi-objective optimization is performed considering 13 passive design strategies using the Genetic Algorithm (GA) based on the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm 2 (NSGA-II) method. It is found that high ventilation rate, low infiltration rate, high insulation, high thermal mass, integration of green roof, and application of operable roller blinds are beneficial in reducing the final HVAC energy use up to 32% and enhancing thermal comfort up to 46%. Subsequently, three optimal solutions are selected and analyzed under the highest maximal temperature heatwaves detected during the 2001–2020, 2041–2060, and 2081–2100 periods. It is found that non of the optimal solutions are able to fully suppress overheating during heatwaves and the cooling system outage. The indoor operative temperatures reach more than 29 °C, which can cause serious health issues for the occupants. The situation will be exacerbated in the future since an increase in maximum Heat Index (HI) between 0.28 °C and 0.49 °C, an increase in the maximum operative temperature between 1.34 °C and 2.33 °C, and a decrease in Thermal Autonomy (TA) between 17% and 28% are estimated. Finally, some recommendations are provided for practice and future research.

Implementation of ISO/DIS 52016-3 for adaptive façades: A case study of an office building

Adaptive building envelope technologies can increase the energy efficiency of buildings. Adaptive facades can be controlled automatically and respond to environmental changes. There is no standard method for evaluating control strategies for adaptive façade elements, particularly for dynamic shadings. Therefore, the ISO/DIS 52016–3 recommended different default control strategies to compare the energy use of various building variants. ISO/DIS 52016–3 presents the procedures for considering the effect of adaptive building envelope elements in calculating the energy needs for heating, cooling, internal temperatures, and sensible and latent heat loads. This paper presents a comprehensive study of the impacts of the newly published ISO/DIS 52016–3 on energy performances and thermal comfort in office buildings with adaptive facades. The simulations were performed for an office room in Brussels with four scenarios: no shading and fixed shading (fixed horizontal louvers) with static control, external roller blinds, and Venetian blinds employing automatic control strategies suggested by ISO/DIS 52016–3. Energy Management Systems (EMS) as a user-customized coding plugin in EnergyPlus was utilized for implementation of each control strategy algorithm. The findings indicated that in the case of roller blinds, the energy performance of the selected office was improved by 19.47% compared to the fixed shading. This study shows that the chosen roller blinds performed the best in decreasing the annual cooling loads with a value of 63.9%, 44.12%, and 8.2% compared to scenarios of no shading, fixed shading, and Venetian blind, respectively. Furthermore, the results showed that the fixed shading would occasionally outperform automated Venetian blinds.

RESEARCH ON WINDOW TREATMENTS THAT MAKE PRIVACY AND VIEW COMPATIBLE

In this study, we investigated a fenestration system that divides the roller blinds into multiple layers, closes partially to ensure privacy, and opens the other areas to achieve both view, daylighting and solar heat gain. In the experiment in the controlled space, subjects evaluated “visibility from inside”, “estimated visibility from outside” and “openness”, and in addition to that, subjects also evaluated “view”, “brightness” and “total satisfaction” in the experiment in the actual environment. As a result, we confirmed the visual satisfaction improved by this system.

Influence of Roller Blinds Shading Strategy on West and South Facing Buildings

This study investigates the impact of roller blinds as an energy-saving strategy in a subtropical climate. Lighting control experiments were performed on west-facing and south-facing windows in the Subtropical Performance-Testbed for Innovative eNergy Research in Buildings Laboratory (SPINLab). This study accepts sunlight below 8000 lux and requires the indoor lighting of at least a reading of 500 lux. For the west-facing window experiment, the curtain energy-saving strategy implemented in this study resulted in 10% less energy consumption for air-conditioning and saved 90% of the lighting power consumption of the west facing window building. For the south-facing window experiment, we found that sunlight can fully supplement the lighting without adjusting the roller blinds because the window opening is different from the sunlight direction. In addition, the significant heat flux difference between the west-facing and south-facing windows experiments is also reflected in the energy consumption of the air conditioners.

FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY OF ROLLER BLIND FROM VETIVER WOVEN FABRIC

The vetiver woven roller blind is an environmentally friendly window covering innovation that can provide an aromatherapy scent produced by vetiver woven fabric. This study aims to analyze the financial feasibility of a roller blind production of vetiver woven fabric. The initial steps carried out in this study were the preparation of vetiver raw materials, the manufacture of vetiver woven fabrics, the manufacture of vetiver woven roller blinds, and financial analysis of the vetiver woven roller blinds that had been made. The results showed that the capacity of making vetiver woven fabric using a non-machine loom was 101.3 cm²/minute or equivalent to 72 m x 70 cm per month and 60-units of vetiver woven fabric roller blinds with a size of 120 cm x 70 cm were obtained. per month. The cost to produce 60-units of vetiver woven roller blinds is Rp16,988,300.00 per month and the HPP is Rp283,138.00 per unit. At the price of roller blinds for vetiver woven fabric Rp3,600.00 per cm 2 or Rp302,400.00 per unit, the NPV value is Rp38,000,874.00, BCR is 1.05, IRR is 9.16%, and PBP in month 11th.

DEVELOPMENT OF FLEXIBLE SENSOR STRUCTURES WITH ALERT FEATURE ON ROLLER BLIND SURFACE WORKING WITH SOLAR ENERGY

In the project, roller blinds with alarm sensors working with solar energy were developed. It is aimed to develop the alarm system, which is a security system product that has become the need of every house, on the curtain surface by designing flexible sensor structures. Lightweight fabric design, sensor design, system design and mobile application studies were carried out. User tests of the product with optimum values were carried out. As a result of the evaluations, it was seen that the lightweight fabric rate was 34% and the capacitive sensing distance of the selected pattern was 15 cm.

Factors influencing the state of blinds and lights in primary schools: Behavioural models and opportunities to improve children's visual environment

The state of blinds and lights affects children's visual environment and comfort, however, there is a significant gap in research on the factors leading to the operation of blinds and lights in primary school classrooms. This study identifies and categorises the main drivers of operations on blinds and lights and investigates optimal light levels for children in primary schools. The study collected measurements of environmental variables, observations of operations on blinds and lights using forms and time-lapse cameras and visual sensation questionnaires in 31 naturally ventilated classrooms in the UK for one year. Results suggest that operations on blinds and lights are influenced by a range of contextual, occupant-related and building-related factors. Behavioural models of blind and light operation in primary schools are developed using the data collected. With regards to children's visual comfort, in the current study, at 730 lux, 80% of the children were satisfied with the light level in their classroom. The findings and models presented in this study could be used by designers of schools to achieve more visually comfortable classrooms. For example, the results suggest that vertical blinds rather than roller blinds may be a better design choice for classrooms as their slats can be adjusted to control direct sunlight but also allow ventilation. The research concludes with a range of strategies for managing the visual environment through operations on blinds to both reduce lighting energy consumption, as well as increase the quality of the visual environment thereby improving school children's health and productivity.

Optimisation of passive solar systems seasonal operation in conditions of central Europe

The paper deals with optimisation of passive solar systems installed on family and office buildings in central Europe locations. In these territories, in contrast to more southern countries, it is not typical to utilize passive solar systems on public or private buildings. Although these systems can significantly influence thermal comfort inside the buildings, many controversions and myths reduce wider utilisation. It could be expected, that new European legislative tending to common energy savings will cause also wider usage of these systems. In contrast of classic countries utilizing passive solar systems, the benefits can be expected either in hot season or in cold season. If we focus on systems that can supplement existing buildings – roller blinds and slats, significant energy and economy benefits can be easily reached. These systems can either decrease or avoid overheating during hot summer days or to limit thermal loses in cold winter days and nights. This paper compares various roller blind and slat systems installed on office building and family house. Exact measurements explains the influence on thermal gains, thermal loses and thermal comfort in particular storeys during constituent seasons. The main results of these experiments and calculations are principles of operational charts for particular locations in the buildings leading to provable energy savings and economy profits. The measurements also serve as verification of computer simulations.

MEASUREMENT OF HEAT TRANSFER BY COMPONENT OF WINDOWS WITH SOLAR CONTROL DEVICES UNDER ACTUAL ENVIRONMENT

In recent years, passive designs, that acquire solar radiation from large windows during winter time, are becoming widespread. However, due to privacy issues, there are some houses in which curtains and other shading devices remain closed throughout the year. In this research, we focused on the roller blinds that can control the solar radiation and view, in response to the weather conditions and the surrounding environment, and measure the solar heat gain and the heat transfer by component of the windows with roller blinds under the actual environment.

Field experiment on influence of cold protection technologies on thermal environment of subway station in severe cold region

In recent years, there are many subway lines under construction in cold regions of China. In severe cold regions, due to the harsh winter weather, cold protection has become a key task for subway operations. In this study, field experiments on the influence of cold protection technologies on the thermal environment and train-induced unsteady airflow (TIUA) of a typical island station in Harbin were conducted. The results show that the temperature, wind speed, and air volume of the entrance and the piston duct all change periodically under the driving interval. For the cold protection technologies at the entrance and exit, the cold-proof effect of the door curtain is stronger than that of the hot air curtain and the outer door. The air inflow and outflow volumes through the entrance without the inner and outer curtains are 1.4–2.2 and 2.1–2.3 times higher than those with inner and outer curtains, respectively. For the cold protection technologies at piston duct, the cold-proof effect of electric roller blinds is stronger than that of wind pavilion cover. Compared with the use of the two cold protection technologies, the average temperature of the piston duct when the electric roller shutter is fully opened is 1.8–2.0 °C lower than it, and the air inflow and outflow through the piston duct are also 1.3 and 1.4 times higher than it respectively.

Indoor-Lighting System Design Using Simultaneous Control of LEDs Lighting Intensity and Roller Blinds’ Opening for Economic Energy Consumption.

In this paper, daylight harvesting is used to minimize the power consumption - required for indoor lighting - using electric roller blind. Smart controller is designed to adjust - based on the preset light intensity - the position of the roller blind’s stepper motor, and consequently the roller blind opening for better utilization of the daylight entering the room. If the desired illuminance level (IL) is not achieved for any reason, the smart controller adjusts the LED circuit current to boost the light intensity to achieve precisely the desired IL. Comprehensive tests - carried out using MATLAB-Simulink to verify the performance of the proposed smart controller – reveal that the proposed controller successfully maintains the indoor lighting intensity at the desired IL. Results of the techno-economic analysis - performed to evaluate the benefits of employing the proposed controller – show that an energy saving of about 62% is achieved, and that the lifetime of the LED circuits can extend to more than 20 years.

Simulation-aided development of automated solar shading control strategies using performance mapping and statistical classification

This paper presents a structured, generically applicable, method for using building performance simulation to aid the development of comfort-driven solar shading controls by mapping predicted occupant comfort conditions to sensor measurements. The method uses confusion matrices as a statistical classification approach to facilitate (i) selection of sensor deployment strategies that offer beneficial trade-offs considering multiple performance aspects and (ii) identification of control algorithms that optimise comfort conditions using non-ideal sensors. The support method requires relatively little effort from a developer, only a small number of simulations and fits well within the current practice of shading control development. The method is tested using a sun-tracking control strategy for indoor roller blinds as a case study, which demonstrates that the method can identify high-performance solutions. Finally, generally applicable features of the method are extrapolated from the case study, and alternative applications and the method’s limitations are discussed.

Roller blinds characterization assessing discomfort glare, view outside and useful daylight illuminance with the sun in the field of view

This research presents an experiment where the relationship between view outside (VO), daylight availability (DA) and glare protection (GP) of nine shading fabrics were evaluated. This kind of shading device is placed on the market (Argentina) without a proper characterization of their lighting performance, leading to an inadequate application. Glare was evaluated through DGP model, by means of HDRI technique, calibrated through externally measured luminance and validating with vertical illuminance. Vision outside was evaluated through the View Clarity Index (VCI) and daylight availability was assessed through Useful Daylight llluminance (UDI) dynamic daylight metric. Finally, two roller blind selection procedure were proposed. The first one considering each parameter independently (GP, VO and DA) and the second criteria, weighing the scores through a ternary plot.