Fabric Openness Factor | Fenestration Data | | Energy Conservation
GreenGuard® Certification | Microban® Protection | Shade Fabric Reference Sheet (pdf)
FlexShade Fabric Selection
FlexShades are available in a wide variety of mesh, opaque and room darkening fabrics from national and international manufacturers. Selection of fabric for your FlexShade solution can contribute to effective energy conservation, worker comfort (leading to increased productivity), and decreased expense in cooling.
Draper offers more fabric types and colors than other window shade manufacturers. For complete fabric lines and details use our Fabric Selector Tool.
Fabric Openness Factor
The following key identifies four properties of shade fabrics and openness factors. Normally, dark colors provide better glare control because they absorb light. Light colors offer better heat control because they reflect heat. Duplex fabrics offer both glare control and heat control. All Draper fabrics are fire retardant. Complete fabric lines and fire retardant ratings available through our Fabric Selector Tool.
Natural light can be beneficial to health in the working environment. Ensuring protection against glare and reflection is essential when choosing window shade fabric openness. Openness selection should be based on building position, geographical location or exposure area, office activity, and view: clear or obstructed.
See the map to the right that indicates recommendations for window shade openness factor to control glare and work station reflections, for UV protection and for better view-through capabilities.
Fenestration Data
Draper offers test data for the specifier's use in controlling light and heat, view and privacy, and glare level.
- Solar transmittance (TS), reflectance (RS), and absorptance (AS) add up to 100%, indicating that all the sun's energy striking the shade is reflected, absorbed, or passed through.
- Visible transmittance (TV) indicates the amount of glare likely to be perceived.
- Openness factor (OF) concerns the density of the weave.
- Shading coefficients (SC) indicate shading efficiency.
Fenestration data is available for each fabric through our Fabric Selector Tool.
Energy Conservation
The chart at the right illustrates energy conservation for identical buildings located in each of the major U.S. Cities listed for one full year, when compared to no window shades. As you can see, utilizing appropriate solar shading can save from approximately 15% to 75% on cooling costs depending on the location and climate, and on what fabric is chosen. This simulation was performed with several constants:
- Fabric: 5% Basket Weave fabric is a charcoal color. 5% Duplex fabric is charcoal/white color.
- Solar shading: The horizon is presumed to be at a vertical level of 5°. No other obstacles or buildings are taken into account.
- Glazed surface in facade(s): 50% of the facade total surface. U-value of glazing: 2.9 W/m²K (i.e. 0.15˝ or 4 mm glass).
- This information refers to interior shades only.
For more information on energy conservation and other Green issues check out Draper's Green site.
GreenGuard® Certification
GreenGuard Certification is valuable for architects, designers, product specifiers, and purchasers who want to locate, specify, and purchase low emitting products for indoor environments. GREENGUARD® Children & Schools™ certified materials meet or exceed the strictest standards for indoor air quality where children spend many hours a day.
Draper's GreenGuard® certified fabrics include SheerWeave® Series SW1000/2000/ 2100/2400/2500/2600/2700/2900/3000/7000, Series PW3500/4100/4400/4500/4600/4550/4650/4800, and Infinity by Phifer; and E-Screen, M-Screen, T-Screen, Obion, Vela, and R1 by Mermet.
Microban® Protection
Microban antimicrobial protection works continually to inhibit the growth of stain-causing bacteria, mold and mildew for the life of the shade. SheerWeave® Series SW2000/2100/2400/2500/2600/2700/ 2900 by Phifer now includes Microban®. Microban is a registered trademark of Microban Products Company.