Midday sunshine tends to get most of the attention when businesses think about solar shading.

But ask somebody working beside a west-facing window at four o'clock on a bright afternoon and they may tell you something different.

Low sun can be much harder to deal with.

The sun enters horizontally, reaching further into the building and often sitting directly in people's eyeline.

It's not simply about temperature

Solar shading is often specified because a room becomes too hot.

That's important, but low sun creates other problems too.

In a workplace it can make computer screens difficult to see.

In a café or restaurant it can shine directly into customers' faces.

For a shop it can create glare across display windows.

And in education or healthcare environments, visual comfort can matter just as much as temperature. https://www.shademsolutions.co.uk/Commercial-Awnings/

The current guidance for educational buildings, for example, specifically treats overheating, glare control and useful natural daylight as related design issues, rather than considering temperature in isolation.

Why a projecting awning isn't always enough

A traditional awning creates shade by projecting outward.

When the sun is relatively high, that's exactly what is needed.

But as the sun drops lower, its rays can travel underneath the front edge of the awning.

That's why additional vertical shading can be useful.

Many awning companies similarly identifies low sun as a specific shading problem and offers vertically dropping front elements to extend the shaded area without requiring greater awning projection.

The important point isn't the particular brand. It's the design principle.

The direction of the sun determines the type of shading required.

External screens or Drop Arm awnings can tackle the problem at the window (Italia model) https://www.shademsolutions.co.uk/Residential-Awnings/

Where the challenge is the glazing itself, an external screen can be another option.

Because the shading is outside the glass, solar energy is intercepted before it enters the building. Vertical external systems can also provide glare control and varying levels of outward visibility depending on the fabric chosen.

Different elevations may need different answers

A commercial building rarely experiences the same solar conditions on every side.

A south-facing elevation may need protection around midday.

A west-facing office may become uncomfortable late in the afternoon.

An entrance or outdoor seating area could have a different requirement again.

That's why effective commercial shading starts with the building and how the space is used, not simply with a catalogue product.

Shadem Solutions works with businesses and organisations across the West Midlands to develop made-to-measure external shading, awning and canopy solutions for real commercial applications.

If glare, overheating or low sun is affecting staff, customers or the usability of a building, it's worth looking at when and where the problem occurs before deciding how best to solve it.