Verosol Australia supplied Ambience motorised roller blinds to Curtin University’s Legacy Living Lab to reduce heat and glare issues in the building. Beyond heat and glare control, Verosol’s blinds were also able to achieve significant energy savings for the lab.

The Legacy Living Lab (L3) was originally conceived and built to demonstrate the ‘circular economy’ concept in action, particularly addressing the waste generated in the building and construction process. It is now a place of innovation and research, where industry and academia meet to develop environmentally progressive ideas and present them to the broader community.

The L3 project met its initial objectives, generating only five tonnes of CO2 emissions during its build phase (instead of the 50 tonnes that buildings of its size typically generate). However, the building interiors were too hot and bright for anybody to work comfortably.

To address this, Verosol supplied L3 with seven automated Ambience motorised roller blinds featuring 203 SilverScreen Performance in Dark Grey. Not only did these blinds solve the problems of glare and heat, but they also presented an opportunity to quantify their potential benefits in terms of glare reduction, cost savings, and CO2 emission cuts.

While the data collection process is ongoing and the final results of the study are yet to be published, previous research by Verosol suggests that these products typically reduce heat gain by 75%, energy usage by 11,374 kWh per annum, and cost by $785 per annum.

By far the biggest part of the potential energy saving is due to the g-value (SHGC) improvement. Although the U-value is improved by 2.9 W/m²K, the climate in Perth (where L3 is located) is mild. In addition, the total light transmission of the fenestration is 4% – this means Verosol’s roller blinds featuring 203 SilverScreen Performance screens in Dark Grey not only maintain a good view through to the exterior but also provide excellent glare control.

Dedicated to state-of-the-art window coverings technology, Verosol is proud to be associated with the Legacy Living Lab and determined to continue to play a role in ensuring an energy-efficient, low carbon future for Australia.