Brise soleil may not be the most familiar term to people outside the world of architecture and engineering, but this type of sunshade is a popular and useful feature when it comes to controlling how much light enters a building.
What exactly is brise soleil?
Brise soleil (French for sun breaker) is an architectural feature designed to block excess sunlight whilst still allowing some natural light to penetrate the building. This means that it can brighten rooms during the darker winter months whilst preventing excess heat gain during the summer. The feature is permanently fixed in place.
The exact shape and pattern of brise soleil systems can vary, as can the colours and materials. Most are horizontal, but they can be vertical. They frequently include the type of horizontal slat known as louvres. In general, they appear as rows of angled blades extended from a wall.
Why install brise soleil?
Installing a brise soleil system with the help of a specialist such as alusystems.uk is a way to regulate the light and heat entering a building. Natural light is an important part of creating a healthy living or working environment where people can feel comfortable. Too much, however, can cause distracting or harmful glare, or can lead to the space becoming uncomfortably overheated. Brise soleil aims to balance the amount of sunlight able to penetrate inside.
With brise soleil installed, sunlight can still enter through the windows. This will reduce the need for artificial light, thereby improving energy efficiency and reducing costs. Access to sunlight is particularly important in the colder and darker times of the year, such as in winter.
Meanwhile, in summer, brise soleil moderates the sun. It stops the glare, and it provides coolness and shelter against the increasingly uncomfortable heat. Again, this improves energy efficiency and saves money, this time by reducing the use of air conditioning.
There are many features used by architects and engineers to try and take advantage of natural light whilst trying to avoid consequences such as glare and heat gain. Brise soleil is one of them.
