As a business, we have been promoting the benefits of external shading for years. However Global Shading Day is a worldwide campaign aimed at providing a consistent message across all continents, and will therefore have a much greater reach and impact in the long run.
As a first line of defence, external shading is the most effective way to prevent unwanted solar heat gain by creating a physical barrier between the sun’s energy and glazing, reducing interior temperatures without the need for energy-hungry, noisy and CO2-emitting cooling devices that only ‘cure’ the issue once it has occurred. External shading reduces energy use associated with both cooling and heating, subsequently saving money and cutting emissions.
Warmer temperatures have meant a year-on-year rise in demand for external shading, and this will only continue. The season for external shading is no longer limited to the summer months. Both consumers and businesses are wanting to prepare for the warm weather ahead, including more frequent heatwaves and unbearable temperatures. This rise in demand helps to maintain or even reduce costs due to greater economies of scale, whilst limiting, to some extent, the increased cost of raw materials incurred during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
I predict that the shading sector will not only continue to grow at an accelerated rate but innovation will be at the forefront, with technology and fabrics as the two key areas we can expect to see continued improvements in both performance and function. External shading can automatically adapt to the ever-changing ambient conditions, working in conjunction with whole-building systems for maximum energy saving and comfort. Fabrics that block the heat – not the view – can allow for endless spans of glazing within building design, to help blur the boundaries between inside and out.
Stuart Dantzic
Managing director of Caribbean Blinds, Suffolk
