Has anyone used this exterior mounted window shading hardware?



Lightline Canopy/Awning

It seems as it would be a good alternative to solar shading when roof overhangs are not feasible. The product is a German manufactured canopy uses UV resistant acrylic canopy with stainless steel brackets that are mounted into the wall.

The fabric type typically sold looks tacky and falls apart in high winds.

Considering the importance of passive shading in summer, I think it's great alternative. All stainless steel parts are made of V2A (1.4301) and show durability. Also fine grinding has an advantage competing to traditional lapping. It's longer lasting, requires lower maintenance, surface has irregular crossing marks, fine ground parts are coated with thin layer of coolant and do not require cleaning, by the way the coolant/swarf is recycled. And no passive house project can be designed without passive shading (depending on climate zone of course) so this looks like a really considerable choice.

I've also had good luck with using solar screens as awnings and solar sails that are somewhat larger to shade the windows in the summer. You can see some of the awnings here:
http://negawattchallenge.org/challenger/bean.html and also how I use the awnings in the winter to help heat our home with a makeshift Trombe wall.

Posted By Denver Dave on 18 Nov 2013 04:11 PM
I've also had good luck with using solar screens as awnings and solar sails that are somewhat larger to shade the windows in the summer. You can see some of the awnings here:
http://negawattchallenge.org/challenger/bean.html and also how I use the awnings in the winter to help heat our home with a makeshift Trombe wall.

 

Do your neighbors complain about the reflective mirrors in the yard?

How well do those exterior shade sails hold up to the winds?

My HOA would have a fit if I did that.

I don't live in a windy area, but the solar shade awnings hold up well in the wind and the solar sails extremely well. I have one end secured with shock cord to a fence and the other end is velcro'd to the house and occasionally will pull lose, by design.

My neighbors are pretty understanding and I do have a fenced back yard on the east side of the house. However, this year, I probably will not do the mylar mirrors (glass mirrors were too fragile when cold! and a little too intense).   Mirrors definitely heat on the outside of the house, but more glare than heat coming in the windows. Comfort and performance wise, the Trombe wall works better on the south side with air flow. It might be possible to heat air on the east with the mirrors and pipe in, but would take some work.

Today was a fairly warm day in Denver, almost 60 with a low of 32 overnight, so not much of a test, but had the window fan on full and countinuously pulling air at the 80 degrees off setting from the Trombe wall for 2 to 3 hours.  The real test will be when the weather is colder. Denver gets quite a few sunny, but crisp days, especially in January.    Even a light cloud cover makes a huge difference in reduced solar heat. Last year we had our south kitchen windows wide open December 21st.    However, I later discovered, that even though the air in the Trombe wall as very warm, the air flow was from inside to outside. So this year, I've switched to fans that push the air in from the Trombe wall that turn off at a certain low temperature and I manually seal up when the "heat of the day" passes. I've been using the off at 80 setting, but expect to be driven down to 70 as the weather gets colder. This year, I have a smaller Trombe wall than last, but with more control over the air flow. Last year I was surprised at the large amount of heat generated by the Trombe wall and how hard it was to control the air flow.

Our furnace does not come on unless the house drops below 60 during the day (or we feel cold) or house below 45 at night (never happened so far, but did hit 47 in the house a year or two back), so alternative sources of heat are very welcome.   We sleep in the basement with warm quilts, so overnight house temperature does not effect us as long as safely above freezing.  More pics here: http://negawattchallenge.org/challenger/bean.html

Having lived in Denver for 25 years, I must challenge your statement that you do not live in a windy location. Please consider the winter Chinook winds that blow HARD especially when low pressure fronts scream through there in February. Those winds can hit or exceed 60mph, and it only takes 1 (one) night of strong winds to destroy your design. If those winds can "eat" 6 inches of snow overnight brother it is windy.

Sorry, the above was directed to Denver Dave.