Blinds & Shutters - Issue 2-2023

SOLAR SHADING
visitors to R+T 2024 that they can look
forward to any amount of innovations from
Warema Der SonnenLichtManager in
Stuttgart."
Innovative Venetian blind
systems
ALUKON also has a high-quality portfolio
of exterior sun shading systems which trade
visitors will be able to experience live at the
world's leading trade fair for roller shutters,
doors/gates and sun shading systems. The
company has now developed LS Dark, a
new Venetian blind system which features
solar heat regulation, optimum use of
daylight and room darkening. "The solution
is based on our LS 80 light guiding slat
which reflects sun rays very effectively on
hot days thanks to its specially designed slat
contour and the specially predefined light
guiding position of 20 degrees, said
Alexander Winkler, Head of Marketing &
Product Management at ALUKON. The
rooms do not heat up while the light
entering indirectly illuminates the room
without any glare. Alexander Winkler: "In
winter the light guiding slat reflects the flat
rays of the sun almost entirely inwards.
These sun rays are directed to the ceiling
and therefore illuminate the room indirectly
from above. The solar radiant heat can
therefore be used and energy and heating
costs are reduced." In the LS Dark the
curtain is moved up and down by means of
a special lateral winder which is integrated
in both rails of the Venetian blind. This
means that there is no need for any text
strip holes in the slats which lead to light
incidence in other solutions. "In order to
prevent lateral light incidence, additional
special brush inserts are used in the guide
rails. Aluminium cover plates fitted on top at
the side complete the darkening system by
reducing light reflection," concluded
Alexander Winkler.
Optimum textile
solutions
For 365 days in the year, the different
exterior sun shading systems from heroal
also help to conserve energy and ensure
home comfort. A textile sun shading system
regulates the indoor room climate without
having to dispense with natural daylight. In
order to also prevent overheating in indoor
rooms with large glass surfaces, heroal
offers, for example, the external zip screen
system heroal VS Z for shading areas of up
to 6 metres wide and an area of 18 square
metres. The sun shading system is integrated
in the façade almost invisibly with a flushmounted
shutter box. However, it can also
be used with a front-mounted shutter box
whose colour can be adapted to the
building optics. Due to the small winding
diameter of the curtains, heat protection
can be attained with very small box sizes.
The heroal VS Z is very discreet thanks to
narrow guide rails which have a visual width
of just 25 millimetres and can be completely
plastered over if necessary. The standard
portfolio contains more than 250 different
textiles consisting of opaque and translucent
fabrics. These textiles offer design freedom
and, depending on the textile, reduce
sunlight and UV radiation by up to 100 per
cent. heroal also has a solution available for
retrofitting: a solar-powered, clamp-on sun
shading system. The heroal VS Z EM can be
installed without drilling and, if required, can
be removed without any leftover marking.
Visitors to R+T 2024 can be certain that
they will find a suitable solution for nearly
every application on the company's stand.
The power of the sun
Energy conservation is also an important
issue for Alulux as an exhibitor at R+T
2024. The solar-powered roller shutter
system was launched on the market as a
solution which does away with the need for
expensive conversion work. No cables have
to be laid and solar energy can be used to
operate the roller shutter system. This not
only protects the environment, but also
reduces electricity costs. The roller shutters
can be operated irrespective of the weather
conditions because a built-in power battery
saves enough energy for rainy days. The
solar panel is attached at the front to the
roller shutter box. This ensures that even a
minimum amount of solar radiation is
converted and that installation becomes
easier. And if you have to wait too long for
the sun to charge the battery, the system
can be easily recharged from the interior by
means of a plug-in charging cable.
Effective control systems
Every external sun shading system has
one thing in common, i.e. they are most
effective when they are controlled
automatically. Thanks to integration in a
smart home, the sun shading products also
harbour enormous potential for a positive
building energy balance. When equipped
with weather sensors, the systems can
reduce energy consumption even more by
acting according to weather data. In addition
to high-quality exterior sun shading systems
with ONYX, HELLA provides a wellthought-out
control system. Exterior
solutions or terrace canopies are therefore
conveniently controlled by a smartphone or
a tablet via an app, voice control or fully
automatically. Customised control solutions
are available with ONYX.HOME for private
customers and ONYX.PRO for larger
residential complexes or office complexes.
"Sustainability is also becoming continuously
more important in the construction
industry and sun shading systems make a
vital contribution in this respect," said
Andreas Kraler, Managing Partner of the
HELLA Group. The topics of sustainability
and digitalisation are closely interlinked for
HELLA. "Sun shading systems act like a
passive air-conditioning system, but are far
more environmentally- friendly. With ONYX
we developed an in-house system which
can be connected to all current smart
home systems: ONYX only lets in the sun
wherever it is desired flooding a room with
light in winter or keeping the bedroom cool
during hot summer nights," added Andreas
Kraler. When combined with weather
sensors, the sun shading systems also help
to reduce energy consumption. Andreas
Kraler: "The app then automatically requests
the user to act according to the weather
conditions no matter where they are at that
moment in time."
52 Blinds & Shutters • ISSUE TWO 2023