Window blinds are widely used in commercial and residential buildings to block solar radiation and reduce the effect of solar gain on indoor overheating. AI shading is applying its unique dynamic control strategy to automate window shade operation in a student room at NAIT.

The control strategy uses real-time environmental data inputs – such as weather, solar radiation, and temperature – and adjusts the corresponding actions of window blinds to regulate the indoor thermal conditions of the space. In summer, when there is sunlight entering windows, the blinds on those windows will move downwards to block the sunlight and reduce the solar heat gain. However, when a window orientation is not directly in the sun, the blinds will stay open to gain the natural light from outside. In winter, the operation is reversed to utilize solar heat for passive heating of the indoor space. At night, all the blinds will close to keep the user’s privacy.