Shading

In recent years, the growing awareness of the possibilities of biomimetic and adaptive materials in architecture has assumed a fundamental importance in the scientific domain, for the high performance of the building facades from an environmental point of view. To meet the housing and comfort needs in climates, such as the ones in the Mediterranean zones, characterized by ever-increasing temperatures, architectural technology must collaborate with nature in an even more decisive way, through increasingly smart and sustainable solutions. The paper reviews a collection of good practice examples of advances in material science, and the method used is to analyze the current performance of  and building envelopes with smart facade skins, in order to suggest some potential applications in the Mediterranean basin and regions of the world with similar climatic characteristics. The latter case studies, especially, show built examples of adaptive buildings that could be adopted for use in Med...

Conventional and integrated fruit growers, but not organic producers, have the possibility to use thinning agents (e.g. benzyl adenine), which allow crop regulation at a relatively late stage (10-16 mm fruit size). A few surveys have shown that by reducing net photosynthesis after blossom, June fruit drop increases. This could be an interesting new approach for organic apple orchards. Since 2003, different trials have been carried out at the Laimburg Research Station on the variety Golden Delicious rootstock M9 to devise a method for practical use by fruit growers. Unfortunately, there are still several constraints to the practical application of the shading method, not least because it does not sufficiently reduce alternate fruit bearing in the following year.

This paper discusses thermal surface performance on front facades of high-rise apartments in Malaysia built with early modern style. Early modern style apartments were popular from the 1950s to 1970s using mass produced and fast construction techniques with standardized design by the government to elicit housing shortage problem due to population increase in the city. The apartments built with open corridor system image the frontages and become the main access to entrance doors of the apartment units. The results from the study will provide information on awareness of passive facade design to minimize solar radiation of the apartment facades. The government recently introduces Green Building Index (GBI) as an awareness strategy in architectural building design. By having this awareness, the building design in the future will able to help reducing electricity consumption. There are three early modern apartments selected in the case studies located in Kuala Lumpur. The survey will measure the percentage of the apartments' front façades shaded from direct sunlight. The survey will apply SunTool software. The thermal surface data indicates that all the facades had slightly above 75% under the excellent category of the shading performances. The wide corridor plays the most important role as a sun-shading device to all three apartments' recessed wall facade. The open corridor system has more emphasis on horizontal sun shading device. Less emphasis is on vertical sun shading devices limited to the brick railing fence and parapet walls of the corridor roof on each floor. These horizontal sun-shading devices were only able to give shades to the apartment façades slightly above 50% from evening sunlight.

O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a capacidade de brotação de cepas de teca sob regime de talhadia composta. O experimento foi implantado nos espaçamentos 3,0 × 2,0 m e 3,0 × 3,0 m. Aos 8 anos de idade, o experimento foi desbastado sistematicamente, em 50%. Após o desbaste, foi avaliado o potencial de brotação das cepas das árvores desbastadas. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos ao acaso, com 2 tratamentos e 5 repetições. Os tratamentos foram T1 = brotação conduzida sob regime de talhadia composta no espaçamento 3,0 × 4,0 m e T2 = brotação conduzida sob regime de talhadia composta no espaçamento 3,0 × 6,0 m. A teca apresentou capacidade de brotação de cepas sob regime de talhadia composta até o período avaliado de 12 anos de idade, para ambos tratamentos.

As concomitants to developments and globalization, Indian modernism witnessed unprecedented socioeconomic and lifestyle benefits on the one hand, and adaptation to high-energy habitats and lifestyle, and subsequent degradation of the native habitats milieu, on the other. Unlike compact traditional buildings or occupants' lifestyle, modern buildings and its inhabitants generate much heat. House-2 in Delhi by Morphogenesis, conceptualized as a 'porous' object with adequate thermal mass, is a radical re-interpretation of haveli 1 typology to optimum plan forms to account for modern lifestyles and environmental imperatives. Thermal comfort is affected by the body's heat exchange with the climatic parameters, and engineering of conduction, convection, radiation of heat or cold through various effects of ventilation modes and air change rates, solar shading, and thermal mass envelopes are hypothesize to afford better indoor environment conditions, and thereby thermal comfort with low-energy. Solar Designer Ver.6 and Ecotect (2011) were used for analysis and simulations of the following cases: 1). House 2, As-built and light thermal mass with no shading, 2) 3 prototype rooms to check ventilation effects on glazing area, thermal mass, and insulation. The results are shown in 1) hourly indoor temperature fluctuation without airconditioning and Discomfort Index, 2) annual heating and cooling load in a year. The analysis shows that Flex Vent mode was more energy efficient than Normal conditions without ventilation. While thermal comfort was not fully afforded for during summer, passive design in House 2, as-built, perform better than light thermal mass, and hence improved energy efficiency. Hypothetical case analysis shows insulation was most effective in both summer and winter for the hypothesis cases.

The Original techniques and processes of Kerala Mural Art Painting as Explained by KK Warrier. The original techniques are detailed in an ancient text called "Chitrasutram" which is part of 'Vishnudharmottara Puranam'. These original techniques have rarely been recorded and yet are great sources of knowledge and wisdom in the areas of Art, Culture, History, and even Science.

1.Excessive nutrient discharge, linked to human activities, is one of the main causes of the decline of seagrass meadows since it modifies two essential parameters controlling their primary production: the nutrient concentrations (especially nitrogen and phosphorus) and the irradiance.2.To investigate the behaviour of seagrass under varied conditions of light and/or nutrient concentrations, it is necessary to experimentally manipulate nutrient enrichment and light, either in situ or in artificial ecosystems. The available experimental information concerning the influences of light reduction and nutrient enrichments (N and P) on seagrass meadows are summarized.3.The protocols for experimentally reducing light vary considerably but all light reduction experiments show a decrease in seagrass vitality and physiological changes (e.g. promotes an increase in chlorophyll and tissue nitrogen), depending on the species-specific tolerance (light optima).4.A wide range of protocols for experimentally increasing nutrient levels have been applied, including varying the nutrient species quantities and ratios, as well as the sources and frequency of additions. Responses to N and/or P enrichment range from stimulation to direct or indirect inhibition, varying depending upon the species, the protocol implemented, the nutrient source (water column versus sediments), and other environmental conditions (e.g. interactions with factors such as temperature, grazing and light).5.Both light reduction and nutrient enrichment, can cause seagrass decline, through similar internal mechanisms, promoting an imbalance of internal nutrient supply ratios. Similar physiological responses can thus be observed (e.g. increase of N, P and chlorophyll contents of leaves).6.This study shows the close link between the physiology and morphology of seagrasses, with regard to environmental modifications. It also highlights their ability to provide information on environmental conditions by means of their responses. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Excessive nutrient discharge, linked to human activities, is one of the main causes of the decline of seagrass meadows since it modifies two essential parameters controlling their primary production: the nutrient concentrations (especially nitrogen and phosphorus) and the irradiance.To investigate the behaviour of seagrass under varied conditions of light and/or nutrient concentrations, it is necessary to experimentally manipulate nutrient enrichment and light, either in situ or in artificial ecosystems. The available experimental information concerning the influences of light reduction and nutrient enrichments (N and P) on seagrass meadows are summarized.The protocols for experimentally reducing light vary considerably but all light reduction experiments show a decrease in seagrass vitality and physiological changes (e.g. promotes an increase in chlorophyll and tissue nitrogen), depending on the species-specific tolerance (light optima).A wide range of protocols for experimentally increasing nutrient levels have been applied, including varying the nutrient species quantities and ratios, as well as the sources and frequency of additions. Responses to N and/or P enrichment range from stimulation to direct or indirect inhibition, varying depending upon the species, the protocol implemented, the nutrient source (water column versus sediments), and other environmental conditions (e.g. interactions with factors such as temperature, grazing and light).Both light reduction and nutrient enrichment, can cause seagrass decline, through similar internal mechanisms, promoting an imbalance of internal nutrient supply ratios. Similar physiological responses can thus be observed (e.g. increase of N, P and chlorophyll contents of leaves).This study shows the close link between the physiology and morphology of seagrasses, with regard to environmental modifications. It also highlights their ability to provide information on environmental conditions by means of their responses.

Solar panels are gaining importance as a major alternate source of energy in the prevailing condition of depleting non renewable energy sources. Photovoltaic (PV) modules are being increasingly used in large as well as small scale installations. The performance of PV panels is affected by the shading effect due to trees, passing of clouds, neighboring buildings and any other means. This paper is an attempt to carry out systematic study of the effect of shading on the Power output, Fill factor and Efficiency of solar panel. A direct correlation was found between short circuit current and solar irradiation under uniform shading conditions. On the other hand, non uniform shading conditions yielded a variety of performance behavior. Such shading conditions should be avoided for better performance of solar panels.

Purpose – Exterior shading devices and dynamic shading systems constitute an efficient way to improve
energy efficiency and occupants’ comfort in buildings through the reduction of direct solar heat gains and
disturbing glare. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the performance of different types of shading
systems, fixed and dynamic, and their influence on the energy consumption and cooling loads for an office
building located in Tallinn, Estonia. The scope is to determine the most performative configuration for energy
consumption and cooling load reduction for office buildings and to provide designers and developers with the
necessary knowledge to increase the performance of their buildings.
Design/methodology/approach – There are many types of fixed shading devices, most of which use
rectangular planar elements, the orientation and layout of which depends on the building location and façade
orientation. The dynamic shading systems vary on the base of the building occupancy schedules and occupants’
preferences. The paper presents a method to determine the most efficient type and size of fixed shading devices
in relation to different windows’ size and orientation, and the quantity of windows panes. At the same time the
dynamic shading system using a control algorithm developed by the authors is compared.
Findings – The results show that solar shading is an efficient way to control the energy consumption of
office buildings, though with different efficacy by the static systems depending on orientation, window and
shading type. Evidence shows that dynamic blind systems have more uniform performance and usually
outperform static shading.
Originality/value – The paper compares the performances of different static and dynamic shading devices
and systems for the location in Tallinn. The dynamic shading system tested uses a control algorithm
developed by the authors. The indications for the energy reduction and cooling loads are a valuable resource
for designers and developers to increase the energy efficiency of their buildings.

The measured and forecasted changes in climate have an immediate influence on the planning of buildings and building services. The requirements toward the energy efficiency of buildings is increasing. Due to rising temperatures, the reduction of summer heat loads will become a dominant factor in the tempering of buildings.
Static and angle selective shading devices are an appropriate measure in the process of reducing summer gains and allowing the winter passive use of solar energy. They are independant of control mechanisms or user behaviour and are therefore more robust energetically and more predictable when dimensioning building services as opposed to moveable shading.
Static shading is an architectural medium. It dominates facades as an invariant graphic element and offers high design potential.
This thesis shows a basic formal typology of static shading devices and simple methods of valuating their influence on daylight, warmth and view. It concludes with a presentation and evaluation of tools for their exact dimensioning and their generation.

Shading affects outdoor thermal environments and, therefore, influences the thermal perceptions of people in outdoor spaces. Since most field studies examining outdoor thermal comfort merely elucidated characteristics measured on a particular day, these studies may not represent ...

The research involves studying the qualities of window films. Biomimicry is applied in the conceptualization of a solution for the design of the window film. Standard window films are installed to mitigate penetration of the sun’s radiation within the interior space of a building. The area of research is Quezon City, Manila. Initial gathering of data has supported the researchers’ statement of need. The researchers mimicked the conditions in the area of research to go through with the simulations and experimentations. Application of films in a tropical country is advantageous in several ways. However, despite the several problems it solves with regards sun shading, with it entails disadvantages regarding the entry of daylight. The window film significantly reduced the level of interior light or visible transmittance. The strategy used was a quantitative research using the experimental method. The method chosen was preferred to arrive at a display of values that will provide the researchers a concrete basis as to how to proposed concept for the window film is different from the regular window film. Through the data gathered by the researchers, it was proved that the entry of light within a space is dismal. The values failed to reach the minimum level required for illuminance. Adaptation then of a biological solution that is known in nature for its sun shading capability was tested whether it will be of effect to the overall performance of the film without compromising its original purpose. The leaf venation was adapted as the pattern for the modified film. Simulations and experimentations were executed to arrive at a conclusion that the application of a biological solution to the window film has increased the level of illuminance. There was a significant increase in the lux levels brought about by the perforations on the film.

Geometry processing applications frequently rely on octree structures, since they provide simple and efficient hierarchies for discrete data. However, octrees do not guarantee direct continuous interpolation of this data inside its nodes. This motivates the use of the octree's dual structure, which is one of the simplest continuous hierarchical structures. With the emergence of pointerless representations, with their ability to reduce memory footprint and adapt to parallel architectures, the generation of duals of pointerless octrees becomes a natural challenge. This work proposes strategies for dual generation of static or dynamic pointerless octrees. Experimentally, those methods enjoy the memory reduction of pointerless representations and speed up the execution by several factors compared to the usual recursive generation.

When the GPV is under partial shading, several peaks appear in the characteristic P-V, namely a GMP and one or more local maximums. The classical algorithm 'P&O' MPPT cannot converge on the GMP for low irradiation values and is trapped by tracking down a LMP so making the algorithm ineffective making the algorithm ineffective, in this case under 200 W/m². An alternative objective function is developed to optimize the performance of the FLC by selecting the appropriate gains using PSO. In this simulation the GPV is composed of one hundred modules grouped parallel series (10x10) and subjected to partial shading. The proposed FLC provides better performance for GMP tracking for the chosen shade configuration selected.

Accumulation of dust on the surface of the solar panels is a natural phenomenon. These accumulated dust particles act as an obstrucle and obstruct the rays from reaching the panel. These particles act as external resistance. The amount of accumulated dust on the surface of the PV module effects the overall energy. Environment is one of the main contributing factor which affects the functioning of the panel. Shading of the panel can decrease the output reducing the overall solar photovoltaic performance of the cell. Hence by cleaning the module periodically can improve the efficiency by increasing the output by almost 50%.

(1) Background: considering multiple, and somehow conflicting, design objectives can potentially make achieving a high-performance design a complex task to perform. For instance, shading devices can dramatically affect the building performance in various ways, such as energy consumption and daylight. This paper introduces a novel procedure for designing shading devices as an integral part of daylightophil architecture for office buildings by considering daylight and energy performance as objectives to be optimal. (2) Methods: to address the topic, a three-step research method was used. Firstly, three different window shades (fixed and dynamic) were modeled, one of which was inspired by traditional Iranian structures, as the main options for evaluation. Secondly, each option was evaluated for energy performance and daylight-related variables in critical days throughout the year in terms of climatic conditions and daylight situations (equinoxes and solstices including 20 March, 21 June, 22 September, and 21 December). Finally, to achieve a reliable result, apart from the results of the comparison of three options, all possible options for fixed and dynamic shades were analyzed through a multi-objective optimization to compare fixed and dynamic options and to find the optimal condition for dynamic options at different times of the day. (3) Results: through different stages of analysis, the findings suggest that, firstly, dynamic shading devices are more efficient than fixed shading devices in terms of energy efficiency, occupants’ visual comfort, and efficient use of daylight (roughly 10%). Moreover, through analyzing dynamic shading devices in different seasons and different times of the year, the optimal form of this shading device was determined. The results indicate that considering proper shading devices can have a significant improvement on achieving high-performance architecture in office buildings. This implies good potential for daylightophil architecture, but would require further studies to be confirmed as a principle for designing office buildings

Energy conservation issues and environmental problems in recent years have increased interest in traditional architecture which is well known for its energy saving designs. This paper thoroughly investigates vernacular housing designs and evaluates on the aspect of building physics. A new research methodology which is adapted to the natural and social context of Vietnam was proposed and applied. The process was carried out step by step, including: climate zoning, systematic analysis, in-situ survey and building simulations. The results of this study indicate that vernacular housing in Vietnam is creatively adapted to the local natural conditions and uses various climate responsive strategies. Through this study, the most frequently used strategies and their effectiveness were derived. The authors also found that under extreme weather conditions, traditional designs might not be sufficient to maintain indoor thermal comfort.