The use of solar protection could reduce energy consumption for space cooling in European buildings by up to 60% by 2050. It would avoid the emission of 100 million tonnes of CO2 and save 285 billion euros. These are the conclusions of the scientific study conducted by Guidehouse, the first to compare the impact of sun protection with the use of air conditioning in buildings. According to ES-SO, the umbrella organization of the European sun shading industry, the study proves that there is an urgent need for automated shading to make buildings more climate resilient and energy efficient. . ES-SO would therefore like the European directive on the energy performance of buildings (EPBD) to take this into account. This observation is shared by Groupement Actibaie, a trade union in France for solar protection, which campaigns for the integration of blinds and shutters into energy renovation assistance systems.
Combat overheating in buildings
As an organization, ES-SO is convinced that automated sun protection is the best defense against climate change and could be part of the structural solution. Based on the results of the Guidehouse study, ES-SO urges EU policy makers to make sun protection mandatory under the EPBD directive, as a first solution - before the use of active cooling , such as air conditioning - in the fight against overheating.
For Anders Hall, President of ES-SO: "Today, buildings are the biggest energy consumers in Europe. They consume 40% of our energy and are responsible for 36% of greenhouse gas emissions. The results of the Guidehouse study are impressive, because they demonstrate a potential energy saving of 60% on the cooling of buildings by 2050. This study shows that we should not wait any longer and that solar protection must be the first solution to fight against the overheating of buildings. We are already looking to a future in which buildings will need to be more climate resilient and less energy intensive."
Study: Sun Protection vs. Air conditioner
Climate change goes hand in hand with higher temperatures and longer and more intense heat waves. It is estimated that buildings requiring air conditioning will increase by 60%. In its study, Guidehouse, which advises public and commercial markets around the world, analyzed the impact of sun protection in relation to the use of air conditioning in buildings.
The simulations and the different scenarios are quite clear: if solar protection is used as the first measure before active cooling (preferred scenario), we should be able to stop the growth of buildings requiring air conditioning by 2050.
Positive impact of sun protection
The results of the Guidehouse study show that automated sun protection has a definite positive impact, not only on the planet, but also on society and people.
- The planet: A CO2 reduction strategy
Between now and 2050, approximately 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (*) can be avoided under the Guidehouse study's preferred sun protection scenario. This reduction of 100 million tonnes of CO2 emissions is equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions of 22 million cars.
(*) CO2 factors are in line with the EPBD 2021 impact assessment and based on the European Commission's 2030 Climate Target Plan. - Society: a strategy focused on energy savings
In the preferred scenario, shading can reduce the energy used in the EU building stock for space cooling by 60%. According to the Guidehouse study, this energy saving (of approximately 870 terawatt hours of electricity) is roughly equivalent to the final energy consumption of Spain, which has 47 million inhabitants. - People: A Profitable Strategy
The study shows that solar protection is a much more profitable investment than the active cooling of spaces, such as air conditioning, since this solution could save up to 285 billion euros by 2050. This amount is similar to the GDP of countries like Finland and Luxembourg combined.
Shady Attia, professor of sustainable architecture and building technology at the University of Liège (Belgium), says sun protection could potentially make a huge contribution to the European Green Deal. “Today, less than 50% of buildings have shading, and a large proportion of it is not automated. The results of the Guidehouse study confirm my belief that shading is a much better solution than cooling for our planet, and that we urgently need to consider the use of automated solar shading to make buildings more climate resilient and energy efficient."