Solar shading

Simply and invisibly stop solar heat gain and glare before they even reach the window, working non-stop to dissipate the sun’s heat and energy whilst not blocking vision, daylight and ventilation. MicroLouvre® provides 100% shade and 100% heat block, saving over 68% of air conditioning costs. It also allows perfect vision and outperforms all other external solar shading systems. The ideal Passive House shading material.

Photo of a building with window and solar shading

What is Solar Shading?

Solar shading is a method by which solar radiation in the form of heat and light can be mitigated in a building. While natural heat and light are essential in most buildings and modern architecture uses it more and more there are occasions when the levels are too high. This leads to high temperatures and too much light. Solar shading is a general term for a range of methods used to reduce the amount of solar gain. Our MicroLouvre® mesh fits easily on the outside of windows thus reducing the amount of heat gain and direct sunlight whilst still allowing a clear view through the window. As a solar shading solution it offers many benefits and doesn't suffer from mechanical problems or user error because of its passive nature.

Product Integration

Automated vertical / sash sliding

Horizontal sliding screens

Lift In / Lift Out - direct fix to glass

Simple side and top hinge

Static Fix to Mullion

Outrigger with internal walkway

Why MicroLouvre®?

An exceptional range of sustainable green credentials and fire protection

Made in Britain - Delivered Globally

Our fabrics are all made in the UK to reduce shipping emissions.

100% recyclable

MicroLouvre® metal fabrics and frames are 100% recyclable and are proven to last over 60 years.

90% recycled

The metal fabrics are made from over 90% recycled scrap copper.

68% HVAC savings

Air conditioning usage can be reduced by more than 68% and equipment halved - When used as Solar Shading.

The Multiple Combined Benefits of MicroLouvre® for Solar Shading.

Solar shading using our MicroLouvre™ is unbeatable, efficient and effective.

All glazing needs solar protection. Working differently from traditional external, internal blinds and other solar shading devices, which reflect, distort, and restrict vision and light, MicroLouvre® Koolshade® invisibly neutralises solar heat gain and glare before they even reach the window. MicroLouvre™ works non-stop to give you solar control, dissipating the sun’s heat and energy into the atmosphere whilst allowing full vision out, and daylight and natural ventilation in. MicroLouvre® solar shading systems are efficient, effective, and maintenance free with a zero-total cost of ownership.

We are a UK company providing high-quality solar shading systems for all commercial and residential buildings. Our unique material is a highly efficient and effective part of solar shading architecture. We make a totally unique and unbeatable mesh that offers efficient solar protection by keeping the insides of office buildings and public spaces significantly cooler and reducing the need for excessive air conditioning.

Heat block and solar shading

MicroLouvre® Koolshade® blocks up to 100% solar heat gain and up to 100% solar glare.

Uninterrupted vision out and balanced daylighting

Our Solar shading screens provide unobstructed views and access to natural light, improving the thermal, visual and environmental comfort of a building's occupants, proven to have real psychological and productivity benefits.

Ventilation

MicroLouvre® Koolshade® allows pure, natural daylight in, whilst still allowing you to easily open the windows so that the directional louvres create upward laminar air circulation - proven to combat viruses and stagnant air.

Energy saving

MicroLouvre® Koolshade® has been tested and proven to reduce air conditioning by up to 68%, saving energy costs and hugely reducing the need for air conditioning equipment.

A1/A2 fire performance

MicroLouvre® KoolShade® is also A1/A2 fire rated, which is now a legal requirement for many residential buildings.

Hurricane proof

MicroLouvre® Koolshade® is tried and tested in withstanding Hurricane Force 12 and Category 2 Hurricane winds.

Easily outperforms solar glass

With ordinary clear double glazing, MicroLouvre® Koolshade® blocks solar heat better than any solar glass in the summer sun, with a 100% heat block (0.0 gtot), perfect daylight quality and clear outward vision for occupants.

Durability

60+ years of maintenance free performance is proven by the Indianapolis City County Building, Peckham Police Station and many other installations worldwide.

How it works

How does MicroLouvre® Koolshade® work?

MicroLouvre® Koolshade® invisibly neutralises solar heat gain and glare before they even reach the window. MicroLouvre® uniquely works non-stop providing dynamic g-value (heat blocking) performance to continually dissipate the sun’s heat and energy into the atmosphere but not blocking vision out, natural daylight or natural ventilation; solar shading using our products is efficient and effective. Our unique material is the perfect solar shading device, it can be installed easily, has excellent environmental credientials and offers a cost effective solution to solar gain.

Alternative To Solar Shading Blinds, Sun Shades and Films

Windows exposed to the sun allow short wave radiation to flow through where it converts to long wave radiation which is then trapped inside allowing temperatures to exceed 38°C. MicroLouvre™ Koolshade® solar shading lourve works totally differently from traditional external and internal solar shading blinds by simply and invisibly neutralising solar heat gain and glare before they even reach the window, like a heat sponge soaking up the heat and energy and discharging it into the atmosphere like a chimney. The standard alternatives like sunshades for buildings, mechanical solar shading louvres and solar shading blinds all have major flaws be it from potential user error, cost or efficacy; MicroLouvre™ does not.

MicroLouvre® sample

Request a sample of MicroLouvre® and see the benefits for yourself

Credentials and certifications

Certified in efficiency and efficacy

When tested at Fraunhofer, results confirmed MicroLouvre® as the most comprehensive solution for Thermal and Visual Comfort in one system.

The Berkeley Lab included MicroLouvre® in a major research project for PG&E. With MicroLouvre®, daily cooling loads were reduced by 68% on sunny days when compared with dual pane, high performance solar control glass with an internal blind.

The IFC Group have confirmed MicroLouvre® to be A1/A2-s1,d0 : BS EN 13501 Fire Rating, making it one of very few passive and dynamic external sun and solar heat gain blocking systems compliant for use on high rise buildings.

Building Research Establishment (BRE) wind tunnel tested MicroLouvre® screens from different angles and proved it to be indestructible at winds exceeding 100mph/160 kph/46 metres per second.

Smartlouvre Technology Limited is an ISO: 9001 2015 Accredited Quality Management company.

MicroLouvre® has been extensively modelled using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in SimScale.

Test certifications

Download and read all our credentials and certifications from our resource centre.

Read more
Basingstoke Hospital
Product integration

Basingstoke Hospital

Temperatures immediately plummeted for the benefit of all. Because of these results, it was said that 40 air-conditioning units were no longer required.

Find out more
Frequently asked questions

Commonly asked questions about MicroLouvre

More FAQs
Find out more
What ongoing maintenance does each type of solar shading system need?

Dynamic solar shading by its nature presents the most risk of faults occurring. Moving parts, motors and reactive functions can be costly to repair or replace and warranties are typically short and limited.

Manual solar shading brings the increased risk of human intervention and misuse, especially those that are internal.

MicroLouvre® screens are fixed to the building facade, window frame, mullions or direct to glass. They are light and quick and easy to install. They do not need to be removed for maintenance or window cleaning. Glass can be cleaned through screens (by simple pressure wash). For those buildings that better suit the option of moveable/removable screens, we offer a number of simple engineered solutions including simple lift in/out options or screens fitted in channels to slide in/out of position.

Does dynamic solar shading work better than a manual or fixed solution?

Dynamic solar shading uses technology to automate and control external and/or internal solar shading by means of an intelligent building control system.

When blinds are deployed due to need (excessive light or glare), the occupants then have no view to the outside.

Manual solar shading requires human intervention which can increase risk of damage to the system. Both dynamic and manual solar shading are subject to faults due to their moving parts and in some cases, motors.

Fixed solutions require no intervention and usually little to no maintenance. MicroLouvre® was designed as a solar shading fixed window screen, consisting of a fine bronze alloy mesh, comprising 700 tiny ‘bris soleil’ fins per metre of fabric, measuring only 1.5mm in depth. It is installed on a frame external to any windows, allowing heat to accumulate on the surface of the metal and then dissipate to the outside before it reaches the window.

MicroLouvre’s durable metal fabric, with micro fine metal louvres, woven with precision, angled and spaced to ensure optimum light in and visibility out, whilst protecting from the sun’s heat and glare.

Why do I need a solar shading system if I have solar control glass or a window film?

Even the most recent advances in glazing technology won’t block all the sun’s heat and they reduce the levels of daylight and the view out.

So, what is the answer? How do you block the sun’s heat, get optimum daylight distribution, visibility to the outside world, protection from glare AND the opportunity for ventilation?

You stop the sun’s energy before it hits the glass, with a metal fabric, with micro fine louvres woven in to dissipate the sun’s heat and neutralise glare, but not block natural daylight, natural ventilation or vision out.

How does each type of solar shading work?

Solar energy from the sun streams through glass, heating everything inside the building. Unable to escape back through the glass, the heat can build up to unbearable temperatures. This is what’s known as the greenhouse effect.

Internal blind systems protect the room from a minimal amount of heat gain. They trap the heat and re-radiate it into the room, also known as the radiator effect.

Solar control glass and window films will reduce a good amount of heat gain but they block the sun’s light, leaving the building occupants in the dark and increasing the need for artificial lighting and therefore, energy consumption.

External solar shading is the most effective protection against heat gain, blocking the sun’s energy from reaching the glass. However, external blind systems reflect the sun’s energy whilst still allowing heat to pass through to the glass and therefore the room. Large louvre systems (Bris Soleil) work by deflecting the sun’s light but only during peak sun hours.

MicroLouvre® works totally differently. It neutralises solar heat gain and glare before it reaches the window, working non-stop like a heat exchanger dissipating the sun’s heat and energy into the atmosphere. It doesn’t diffuse daylight, it provides all the benefits but not the negative impact of excessive heat gain and glare. The louvres are micro fine, and angled at a level to ensure optimum light in and visibility out, whilst protecting the building occupants from the heat, glare and even external viewing in. It’s known as angular selective technology.

How do I choose the right solar shading?

The main factor when choosing a solution to your solar shading needs is to consider the level of heat gain or glare you are experiencing. If your discomfort is minimal, you can usually solve the problem with internal blinds or window film. However, if you prefer to retain daylight levels in and your visibility out allowing you to enjoy your views or landscape, or your heat gain or glare problem is severe, then you’ll need to consider a solution using external solar shading, or even replacement of your glazing type.

If aesthetics are a concern, or the structural loading needs to be minimal, your external solar shading solution should be lightweight and discrete. Awnings, large louvre systems and dynamic roller systems are often discounted for this reason, as well as their significant cost.

MicroLouvre® screens are lightweight, easy to install and enhance the exterior aesthetic. They also allow the user to continue to enjoy visibility out whilst providing optimum levels of unfiltered daylight in, as well as many other additional benefits like free flow of ventilation and even pest protection.