SmartSolar Shading Systems by Decorating with Fabric is a very effective way of keeping the heat out of buildings by filtering the sun through its energy efficient fabrics. The use of these shading systems also can significantly reduce glare.
Choosing the correct fabric for your project can be confusing. There are many options to consider such as, openness of the weave, visibility through the fabric, the color of the material and the content of the fabric. To make the correct choice, you first need to consider what is the purpose of the shading systems. Is it glare control or the reduction of heat penetrating through the widows or both?
Openness
SmartSolar Shading Systems offer weaves that range from 0%-25% in openness. 0% refers to blackout shades. The most common openness percentages for our fabrics are: 1%, 3%, 5% and 10%. Deciding upon which is the appropriate openness, one must consider the orientation of the windows. I usually recommend 3% or 5% for east, south and west facing windows. 10% is fine for north facing windows and 1 % works for bathrooms, where privacy is required. Below is a chart that suggests the openness factor by region.
Visibility
SolarSmart Shading Systems are very popular because of the ability to see through the fabric when the shades are down. This also requires some careful decision making in order to select the correct fabric. As you can see in the photo below, darker colors offer better visibility then lighter colors and of course the more open the weave the better the view. The photos below compare a white fabric verses a black fabric.
Color
SolarSmart Shading Systems are excellent at reflecting and reducing heat created by the sun. Color plays a huge role in this. The lighter the color the more effective the fabric in reducing heat gain. The difference between a light color fabric verse a dark color fabric is significant. The chart below is the fenestration properties of Mermet’s 5% MScreen.
