5 Solar Shading Options for Desert Living
Year-round sunshine is a blessing and a curse for people who live in desert climates or climates closer to the equator. Sunshine is an abundant resource that can be harnessed for energy capture via solar panels. Sunshine can also be “too much of a good thing” when it floods your living space with unwanted heat. As well as heat, sunlight can also fade curtains, carpets and paint and affect artwork.
Solar shading can be a fix you can incorporate as part of a design upgrade or it can be a part of your overall home design. Solar shading is a key component of green interior design and exterior design, as it reduces the energy demands for cooling within a home. It can also protect materials from fading so they don’t have to be replaced as frequently.
Solar shading solutions can be divided into fixed or dynamic shading systems. Fixed shading systems are usually part of a building’s design, while dynamic shading systems are removable or added later.
The following are some solar shading options for homes that get a lot of sunshine, such as desert homes or homes in areas closer to the equator:
Overhangs, Awnings and Porches
Overhangs and awnings are fixed elements of a building’s design. They can incorporate additional features like balconies that overhang windows and doors. Overhangs and awnings can be constructed over doors or windows. They can block afternoon light, but may not be as effective for evening or morning sun.
Vegetation
Vegetation can be used for solar shading and it can also insulate a building, making heating and cooling more effective. One of the best things about incorporating vegetation into green exterior design is that it reduces the carbon in the atmosphere and it can help cool the surrounding area, which is particularly useful in cities and built up areas. Vegetation also supports biodiversity.
Recessed Windows
Recessed windows are a fixed design feature that can increase solar shading and decrease glare. They are often a feature of traditional Mexican architecture and architecture specific to hot climates and desert climates.
Brise Soleil or Louver Shading
Brise Soleil means “sun breaker.” Brise Soleil are louver structures consisting of horizontal and/or vertical fins or slats that block sun. They are often incorporated as large lattice structures that can be an attractive design feature on modernist style buildings. They help to block sun but are most effective on south facing elevations as they can’t shield against a lower angled rising or setting sun.
Shutters or Blinds
Shutters or blinds are dynamic internal or external solar shading features. The good news about shutters and blinds is that you don’t have to redesign a building to install the feature. They can be a convenient fix that can save energy and help to cool a building. Shutters and blinds come in many forms. Shutters may be more rustic, like traditional French wooden shutters or they may be more modern looking. Shutters and blinds, such as venetian blinds, are not just for indoors, they can also be installed outside the windows. These solar shading solutions offer aesthetic as well as practical possibilities.
Interior Design Consultation for Desert Design
If you are living in a warmer climate or a desert climate like the Southwestern US, your home design or home upgrade will need to incorporate heating and cooling solutions and solar shading to maximize energy efficiency. At Earth Science Design our green exterior design consultants work with interior and exterior elements of design to help you realize a vision for a more eco conscious home. Rather than relying on out of the box solutions we can connect you with experts who can install a system that works with your design vision. We work with clients throughout the US and internationally. Our offices are located in San Diego, CA, Brooklyn, NYC and Paris, France. We do remote consultations for clients anywhere in the world. Please contact us to learn more about eco conscious design support for solar shading and cooling systems.
