The Good Homes Alliance (GHA), the British Blinds and Shutter Association (BBSA), and other industry partners have identified a gap in how overheating risk assessments using dynamic thermal modelling account for external shading devices such as roller shutters and blinds. This research project will address that gap by developing practical, reliable methods for modelling these systems.
Although regulatory guidance such as CIBSE TM59 and Approved Document O supports the use of dynamic thermal modelling, it does not clearly set out simulation protocols for movable external shading systems. Other guidance, including BRE material, recognises the value of external shading but provides limited detail on how it should be modelled in practice.
The study will review current industry practice, standards, and research to develop an evidence-based methodology for simulating external shading devices across a range of dynamic modelling tools.
Why the guide is needed
As global temperatures rise, so does the risk of buildings overheating. A recent study1 suggests that by the mid-2030s, 90% of the UK housing stock could experience overheating. In short, much of the built environment in the UK was designed for a cooler, milder climate and is not well prepared for these changing conditions.
At present, UK Building Regulations do not require buildings to meet overheating criteria using future weather files. However, modelling with projected future weather data shows that buildings designed with integrated shading from the outset are less likely to overheat than those without it.
What happens next
In 2023 GHA and BBSA launched Shading for housing – Design guide for a changing climate, which calls for a new design culture in the UK—one in which shading is considered a standard part of domestic building design from the outset by developers, housebuilders, architects, and consultants.
This new guide will build on that work by focusing specifically on the overheating assessment of external shading. It aims to help architects, developers, and specifiers make better-informed decisions about shading strategies, while enabling overheating assessors to produce more accurate modelling and advice. The project will cover external blinds, shutters, and awnings, supported by testing and validation.
Project partners
The project is led by the Good Homes Alliance and funded by the British Blinds and Shutters Association, Oxford Brookes University, and Caribbean Blinds. Inkling is the lead consultant, and the wider project team includes Loughborough University, Pollard Thomas Edwards, Hodkinson, Gilberts, and EQUA Solutions AB.