An important part of the project was the new solar control solution consisting of interior venetian blinds and façade management systems (FMS).

The interior venetian blinds have horizontally arranged louvers that can be rotated to control the amount of light and solar energy entering the space. The louvers (slats) are perforated to allow a limited vision through the fully closed blind. With a white colour at the top of the slat the performance of the system is increased; the underside can be chosen to match the colour of the façade. The blinds are motorised and have a smart motor for position feedback providing utmost accuracy when setting the louvers to a certain angle.

The façade management system is the control system for the blinds: All blinds are connected to this system and are individually addressable. Weather sensors on the roof and the buildings location are used to determine the appropriate position of the blind and the slat angle throughout the day. The system notes when the solar radiation on the façade is too high and adjusts the position of a single blind or a group of blinds to cut-off direct solar radiation, thus preventing solar heat gain. The blinds can be controlled by local switches and tablets located in the floors.

The façade management system provides automation based on the sun‘s position (sun tracking system) and opens or retracts blinds when parts of the building are shaded by surrounding buildings or other parts of the building itself (overshadowing model). The FMS connects to the building management system for increased performance and logging of operational data.

System Data

About the Energy Efficiency Awards

The Energy Efficiency Awards in Ireland were organized by the German – Irish Chamber of Industry and Commerce in October 2020. The awards show intended to promote successful German-Irish partnerships in the building sector. The five projects that have been selected show how innovative German energy-efficient solutions have led to increased building quality, reduced energy costs and lower CO2 emission levels in Irish buildings.

The online-event comprised three highly relevant presentations on the topic of energy efficiency in buildings by representatives from politics and industry, the presentations of the five German finalists, the official award ceremony and a concluding virtual networking event.

The Energy Efficiency Awards are part of the German Energy Solutions Initiative of the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy to recognise the positive impact German energy efficiency technologies have on Ireland's efforts to become more energy efficient.