Project –
Welsh Assembly Government Building, Crickhowell House, Cardiff Bay.
Customer –
Welsh Government.
Customer Brief –
- Provide energy savings by reducing the load on existing A/C system.
- Provide day time privacy to occupants.
- Improve comfort to building occupants by reducing heat and glare.
- Alternative to blinds as maintenance/cleaning costs are too high.
- Allow staff to make the most of the panoramic views of Cardiff Bay.
- Cause minimum disruption to building occupants.
Applied Products were asked by one of our longest running customers, The Welsh Assembly Government to provide a solution to the high running costs of the Air Conditioning System; to provide day time privacy; to reduce discomfort to the occupants suffering from heat during the summer months; and to reduce the solar glare on their computer screens.
The customer was due to replace the existing blinds as both the material and mechanisms had deteriorated over the 6 years due to UV light damage.
The Welsh Assembly did not want to replace the old blinds as they found they were costly to install, attracted dust and required regular maintenance.
The Customer required a more cost effective alternative to blinds which was maintenance free, and comes with a manufactures warranty of 10 years.
An important point made by one of the team leaders in one of the many meetings was that a number of his team sitting in the centre of the large open plan office were complaining that the blinds were always drawn during bright sunny days, reducing their exposure to natural sun light and requiring that the main office lights be on. This was because staff members sitting near the windows required the blinds be drawn to stop the sun’s glare shining on their computer screens.
With the installation of the High Reflective Silver, 77% of the suns glare was cut out, therefore eliminating the need for the blinds. This meant that an important energy saving was made when the office lights could be turned off, and most importantly staff morale greatly improved when the whole office could make the most of the natural light.
Window Film was the obvious choice as it satisfied all the customers requirements.
A High Reflective Silver window film was chosen as it reduced the total rejected solar energy by 77% and reduced the glare by 78%.