Efficiency and sustainability in harmony

To keep temperatures indoors comfortable and constant even on hot summer days, deutsche Potsdamer Wohnungsgenossenschaft 1956 eG (the German Potsdam housing association) decided to equip its headquarters on Zeppelinstraße with exterior sun protection systems, as part of its climate commitment. Köhler Rolladen & Sonnenschutz GmbH from Wittenberge an der Elbe (Germany) found heroal VS Z EM clamp-on sun protection to be a highly effective solution for managing the somewhat difficult installation situation. The innovative zip screen system impressed thanks to its ability to meet the highest visual and functional demands, as well as for its simple, economical installation. The integrated solar motor also ensured ease of installation and sustainability. The heroal VS Z textile sun protection was also used.

For almost 70 years, the Potsdamer Wohnungsgenossenschaft 1956 eG (PWG) has been a leader in the housing sector in Brandenburg's capital city. Currently, it manages over 4,200 apartments, over 60 commercial units as well as residential properties in the city and the greater metropolitan area. With its program of maintenance, renovation and new construction, the association is also meeting its responsibilities for the next generation. Because of this, as part of its climate commitment the PWG decided to optimise the energy-efficiency of its administrative building, which also serves as an educational institution housing the Brandenburgischen Bildungswerks für Medizin und Soziales e. V. (Brandenburg Medical and Social Training Institute). In the future, thermal protection in the summer will help ensure a comfortable indoor climate, reduce the need for air conditioning during the hotter months, and also provide privacy and glare protection. The PWG made use of public funding for the retrofit project.

In order to manufacture and install an external sun protection solution that meet the needs of the challenging installation situation on site, PWG commissioned a highly experienced specialist: Köhler Rolladen & Sonnenschutz GmbH from Wittenberge. The company focuses on quality solutions, offers many years of experience in producing and installing high-quality shading solutions, and trusts in heroal system solutions for sun protection.

Robert Zippel, Köhler Project Manager, said: “The biggest challenge was the lack of accessibility. Some parts of the sun protection needed to be installed very high up; however, because the site is on a high-traffic street, and because there is a walkway directly beside the building, it was difficult to set up scaffolding or a cherry picker. The courtyard and its restaurant patio had the same problem. Alongside our long-term partner heroal, we selected the heroal VS Z EM as the ideal solution to meet these challenges”.

The heroal VS Z EM (Easy Mount) is specially designed for simple, efficient installation. The clamp-on version of the heroal VS Z textile Zip Screen system can be installed in the window frame without drilling in just a few steps. Installation can be completed at the site quickly and easily, with no additional screw fitting in the window frame. A total of 16 different clamping supports allow the system to be used in all common aluminium, PVC and wooden windows. Highly variable dimensions of up to 2 m width and 2.20 m height allow shading of windows up to 4.4 m² in size and ensure the greatest possible flexibility. The modern cubist design impresses with a 90° roller shutter box in a size of 85 x 85 mm, as well as with the narrow view width of the guide rail, at just 34 mm.

In addition, thanks to its solar motor, the heroal VS Z EM is extremely sustainable and the ideal solution for retrofitting or renovations. From Robert Zippel’s perspective, it offers added value both in installation and in daily use: “With its integrated solar motor, the system stands out for an energy-efficient drive. This eliminates the need for further electrical work, like installing power lines, and ensures an even more efficient project process”.

A total of 88 heroal VS Z EM system elements ensured highly efficient installation on the top floors of the PWG headquarters. The systems could be installed easily in the window soffits from inside the building. In addition, eight heroal VS Z Zip Screen systems were used in the renovation. They are used to shade fixed glazing, and ensure intelligent, weather-dependent control in combination with sun and wind monitors.

With an area of up to 18 m², the innovative heroal VS Z Zip Screen System protects interiors from overheating even in rooms with large glass surfaces. In contrast to the heroal VS Z EM clamp-on system, the heroal VS Z Zip Screen is screwed into the window frame. The curtain is guided in sturdy aluminium guide rails with an end bar using a zip fastened to the textile. The end bar also provides excellent weather resistance, keeping the heroal VS Z securely in the guide rail even in strong winds (up to 145 km/h). Thanks to the very small box sizes, narrow guide rail with just a 25 mm view width, and the option of full plastering if desired, the sun protection system is highly discreet.

Another good reason to choose heroal sun protection systems for energy optimisation of the PWG building: the ability to reduce solar radiation and UV radiation by up to 100 % depending on the textile used. With the help of a fabric in Design 3961 in Linen-Lichen, and an opening factor of 5%, the textile significantly darkens the incoming sunlight, ensuring a healthy work environment and comfortable indoor climate at all times. This is also an effective way to lower air conditioning costs. Köhler also took advantage of the wide variety of designs available from heroal sun protection solutions when choosing the colours for the aluminium components. These match the window profiles in a high-quality white heroal hwr powder coating.

PWG also appreciated the clever product design of the heroal VS Z EM in terms of the quality aspects it offers. “We have already fully installed, programmed and tested all 88 elements for proper function” says Robert Zippel. Besides the certainty that comes from using first-class solutions, another advantage was that the time needed for on-site installation was reduced to 3-4 minutes per element, reducing the entire job to a single work day. This makes the heroal VS Z EM an extremely economical solution with an outstanding price-performance ratio. Robert Zippel is very satisfied: “The elements were simply placed in the window frames on the construction site using clamping supports. Since no screwing was needed, this saved a great deal of time. We were able to install a large number of elements in a short time, and handle the project very efficiently”.