MicroShade - Up-scaling and demonstration of energy saving solar shading technology

The project “MicroShade – Upscaling and demonstration of energy saving solar shading technology” has been carried out from January 2009 to August 2011 by a consortium headed by the Danish design studio 3XN with PhotoSolar and 1st Mile as two other Danish partners. The German window manufacturer Büfa Glass was the fourth partner. The objective of the project has been to develop the MicroShade X technology and make it a showcase of easy-to-handle, cost-efficient, energy saving technology. The motivation for the project has been that there are very few examples of new, green technologies successfully entering the market. The project has determined possible explanations for this and applied them in the development. The analysis of barriers and possible solutions has been done through workshops involving architects, engineers, end-user and other stakeholders, as well as through interviews with industry experts and literature studies. This knowledge has been combined with workshops involving all relevant stakeholders in decisionmaking in the building industry: Architects, engineers, designers, builders, etc. An iterative process where production circumstances regarding MicroShade X have been challenged (such as the width of the spring steel, possibilities for coloring, etc.), has been used. User requirements and design ideas were formulated and translated into technical specifications that have been studied by PhotoSolars engineers. Several technical prototypes have continuously tested these possibilities. Further, an analysis process where production conditions in MicroShade X’ supply chain and delivery chain has been mapped and fed into user-driven innovation processes. These were translated into concrete variables for design. These results from the project stand out: A demonstration façade has been developed, built and installed at the company DATAGRAF, so it is now possible to see how a MicroShade X façade actually looks like, as this is critical if architects are to promote MicroShade X Factors affecting the decision-making processes in the building industry have been identified, enabling both PhotoSolar and other green technology developers and suppliers to target the right stakeholders with the right value proposition and thereby increase the possibility of successful market penetration The project is a break-through to PhotoSolar, who now has 12 concrete and specific designs and a demonstrator that can be used to show the actual visual impact and effects of the MicroShade X technology. Through the project 3XN has demonstrated how a basic technology can be developed into a solution which appeals to architects, which will open the door to architects in general, not only with regards to MicroShade X, but to new, green technologies in general. For PhotoSolar the project has provided a technology that is designable and communicatable to the industry, which is now expected to give PhotoSolar a market breakthrough. This report only contains a brief summary and conclusions for the project described through the deliverables in the project plan. Appendices are available for review at 3XN by contacting Kasper Guldager Jørgensen, 3XN, at kgj@3xn.dk or 3xn@3xn.dk. A list of appendices is available from page 15 in this report.