New Shading Guidance 2023
New Shading Guidance by the Good Homes Alliance (GHA) and the British Blind and Shutter Association (BBSA) expected October 2023
The Good Homes Alliance (GHA) and British Blind and Shutter Association (BBSA) together have now appointed a fraternity of experts in the field to draw up and deliver new shading guidance, expected to launch October 2023. This is subsequential to the existing popular industry guidance developed by the GHA on minimising and mitigating overheating in existing and new homes. Managed by the GHA, it is supported by Ballymore, BBSA, Caribbean Blinds, Guthrie Douglas and Louvolite. The target stakeholders that this project aims to cater to include architects, local authorities, housing associations, policy makers and private developers.
Who is the Good Homes Alliance?
The GHA is an organisation that strives to promote sustainable housing. They build partnerships with industries and governments to exchange knowledge, create networks, develop best practices, organize events, campaigns, and research, and share results through publications. Key themes include exploring housing models, reducing overheating risk, achieving carbon-neutral housing, and accelerating high-quality house delivery based on strong strategies. Their membership spans architects, consultants, housing associations and private sector developers all with one unanimous goal of net zero.
Who is the British Blind and Shutter Association (BBSA)?
The BBSA takes a lead role in ensuring quality assurance for standards of products, services, and fair trading, being the only national trade association for companies that handle blinds. These include manufacturing, supply, and installation spanning both internal and external blinds, awnings, security grilles and shutters associated with motor and control systems. They have the largest source of information and knowledge base about the solar shading industry.
Why is overheating an issue?
The rapidly changing climate is leading to average ambient temperatures. While it is natural to assume overheating is limited to the hottest days of summer, it can occur every time the temperature inside a building becomes intolerable for occupants. Key contributing factors to overheating in homes is poor design, including floor-to-ceiling glazing, poor ventilation, south and west facing single-aspect rooms, low ceilings, and lack of external shade. Overheating can lead to several health-related issues, especially amongst the most vulnerable populations, as well as exacerbating existing health conditions.
What is the existing guidance tool kit developed by GHA?
In 2019, the GHA published a guidance tool kit for identifying and mitigating early-stage overheating risks in new homes. This tool is made up of a risk assessment tool, an elaboration on the factors that increase and decrease the likelihood of overheating, guidance for design teams and developers, and some examples of work in progress.
What is the purpose of the new guidance?
Shade the UK are expecting the GHA and the BBSA to play a major role in accelerating the UK’s transition to becoming more resilient to increases in temperatures.
Shading has been documented to play a key role in improving thermal comfort and reducing active cooling demand within buildings. For instance, documented statistics over time shows well-designed shading to reduce cooling energy demand by 5% to 15% annually; this brings into light the importance of well drafted guidance in order to maximise energy savings. Having empirical evidence at the core of the initiative, the upcoming guidance by the GHA and BBSA aims to follow on from previous guidance, with added cases studies and building upon latest research and policy.
A variety of building shading devices, you would normally find in the mediterranean, have become more popular in the last few years in the UK, due to the increasing concern of overheating. These include awnings, solar screens, blinds, louvers, shutters, green roofs, planters and more. However, without having an analysis of case studies, it would be difficult to understand the difficulties faced by housing industries in accessing these devices. Thus, this project is expected to enlist detailed case studies for incorporating shading for both new and existing homes. Additionally, the guidance will delve into internal verses external shading barriers to shading in conservation areas, the role of the new Part O (Overheating) building regulations, and the importance of resilient design and provision for future shading.
This work is being spear headed by an experienced team with established subject matter experts, including award winning architect Pollard Thomas Edwards, sustainability lead Tom Dollard, Passivhaus, and designer Joseba Perez. Furthermore, the wider team is made up by the engineering firm Max Fordham and Professor Rajat Gupta of the department of Sustainable Architecture and Climate Change at Oxford Brookes University. The group of industry experts also include representatives from Avison Young, Cambridge City Council, CIBSE, ECD Architects, Oxford City Council, Sovereign and TOWN.
Written by Rashikkha Ra Iyer