The most important aspect when it comes to Brise Soleil for Solar Control is getting the right dimensions.
Fin Depth
The depth of the fins will also dictate how far out from the wall of your building the blades of the Brise Soleil system will protrude. Typical depths for commercial buildings would be within the range of 300mm to 600mm, with deeper fins required for south facing glazing to provide effective shading against the high summer sun.
Fin Spacing and Pitch
Increased density of fin space will increase the level of solar shading but at the expense of reduced daylight and ventilation. The recommended fin pitch for Office Use of Brise Soleil will be in the order of 200 mm – 400 mm centre to centre. However for specific buildings that receive lower angle sun for most of the day then increased fin space may be more appropriate.
Angle of Inclination
For south facing glazing Horizontal fins are typically the most effective. For East and West facing glazing however, even Horizontal fins would benefit from being tilted downward by 10 to 20 degrees.
Orientation-Specific Adjustments
North facing walls tend to require little or no solar protection, East and West facing walls can often be better protected using vertical fins rather than horizontal fins.
Using Sun-Path Data
The Brise Soleil is sized based upon the latitude of the building and the angles of the sun during the months of highest solar gain, June and July, for the overheating periods. Solar shading design guidance from CIBSE details the relevant solar gain calculations to enable design of effective Solar Shading systems.
Brise Soleil is covered in more detail at //alusystems.uk/brise-soleil-solar-shading.
Getting the numbers right at the design stage saves costly adjustments once the system is up.
