External Movable Shading Systems (EMSYSs) are installed on the glazed surface of the building façade. They control the solar heat gain while also providing natural daylight indoors. Good quality EMSYSs are able to reduce heat ingress through glass by up to 80%. Controlling the solar heat ingress results in significant reduction in the cooling/HVAC load of the buildings.
In the case of a glazing made of single clear glass, almost 80% of the solar radiation falling on the glazing enters the building in the form of heat. The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of such a glass is said to be 80%. However, if EMSYSs are provided and they are lowered/closed during daytime when solar radiation is directly falling on the glazing, most of the solar radiation is reflected, and the SHGC can be reduced to as low as 12%.
BEEP Activities
National Design Competition by BEEP on EMSYS
In 2015, BEEP announced a unique design competition to unearth creative innovations towards India-specific EMSYS designs and solutions. The objective of the competition was to promote the concept of EMSYS among architects, product designers, HVAC engineers, and others. A total of 30 entries were received for both the residential and commercial categories, out of which 5 entries in each category were shortlisted and given financial reward to the innovators to develop prototypes. These prototypes were then tested for their effectiveness in blocking the sun. With good incubation support, the winning designs in both categories can be developed into economical functional products for thermal comfort in Indian buildings
Between 2018 and 2021, BEEP will extend support to manufacturers and others working in this area to develop and test EMSYS products and in developing the market for these products.