Inflector Case Studies

Rugby Borough Council wanted to reduce solar heat gains and glare in their east/west profile Finance Office with 16 double glazed windows.

There was a vast difference in the look and feel of the room as can be seen from these ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures.

Despite having some of the original blinds half open, the room had a gloomy appearance making the staff feel claustrophobic whilst after the installation of the Inflector blinds the room was light and airy and much more work-inducing. The Council is delighted with the results, the staff have a more comfortable space to work and the office has its view and the natural light returned.

Prior to the installation of Inflector in the Ede & Ravenscroft top floor Marketing & Retail offices in the heart of London, the heat gains in the summer and heat losses during the winter made the offices very uncomfortable places to work.

Shortly after the installation the staff all agreed that they loved their new Inflector blinds.  Externally the building looks as beautiful as it always did and Inflector proves once again to be an instant winner when dealing with the issues experienced here.

The left picture shows an exterior view with the blinds in ‘summer mode’ with the reflective aluminium surface facing the window.  Thee also ensure daytime privacy for the office staff as passers-by are unable to look in.  Note the air conditioning units under every window which is no longer needed except in extreme heat.

The middle picture shows the interior, again with the blinds closed, staff are able to look out, enjoy the view and see daylight.  Being able to look at distant objects is also good for the eye muscles and helps eliminate headaches and migraines.

The right picture shows a close-up of one of the windows, demonstrating just how much can be seen though the blinds.  The staff all appreciate having their view back.  A view which was completely lost with the previous standard vertical blinds as they were always closed, making the offices feel like boxes.

After the Inflector installation the offices are more pleasant and comfortable for staff and have lower heating and cooling bills.

The comfort and care of its’ residents was the priority for this care home but being on the top floor of the building meant that it suffered the full brilliance of the sun. Not only that, with the lounge being a southwest facing corner room, it had long hours of sunshine well into the evening, making the heat-gain and the glare unbearable at times.

As you can see from the left-hand picture, vertical blinds in the lower floor windows decreased the viewing area considerable whilst the Inflector blinds, even when in use, allowed a clear view of the area but without the dazzle. This enabled the less-mobile residents to watch the comings and goings of the outside world from the comfort of their armchairs.

In the winter months, with very little effort, the maintenance staff were able to turn the blinds around. In this position, whilst still being see-through, the blinds reflected the rooms’ heat back into the room.  Additionally, they also absorbed the sun’s heat and redistributed that warmth into the room ensuring that, whilst reducing the heating bills, the residents were always cosy .

This client was delighted with the results when Inflector vertical blinds were  installed in their offices.   The vane size was changed from 127mm to 89mm which improved the appearance and helped conceal the security window bars.

As an added security measure, whereas the office staff were able to see out, those outside were unable to look into the offices (think of tinted car windows).  When not in use the original blinds were drawn to one side, resulting in an unsightly ‘clump’ which decreased the viewing area. As Inflector blinds can be seen through, they did not need to be opened.

Installed  to reduce solar heat gain and glare during warmer months and to reduce electrical heating costs during the heating season, these blinds went above and beyond the initial requirements

Despite using an air conditioning unit, this south-facing room reached temperatures of over 35°C; the more people at the meeting, the more uncomfortable it got. Block-out shades simply absorbed the solar heat and radiated it into the room worsening the problem.

Inflector see-through vertical blinds were installed and, as can be seen from the picture, immediately gave the occupants natural light and a view from the window, improving their work environment. Reflecting the summer heat back to the window resulted in the room cooling rapidly and air conditioning was only needed when the room was fully occupied.

Furthermore, in the winter months Inflector was turned around resulting in warmth being reflected back into the room whilst the outer layer (nearest the window) absorbed the warmth of the winter sun and dispersed this heat into the room, lessening the need for central heating.

The A/C unit was only required when the meeting room was fully occupied (8 people, approximately 2 hours daily). Running costs are now £3.87 weekly which represents a saving of 74%.  Over a 6-month period the total saving was £301.60, giving a pay-back of 1.65 years (based on Inflector summer performance alone).  As a result, Information TV’s carbon footprint has already reduced by 1.35 tonnes over the 6-month period.

This residential property in North Yorkshire was built with an East/West profile and suffered from solar heat gains and glare making the home office, child’s bedroom and dining room kitchen (with patio door) very uncomfortable when the sun was out.

They found the instantaneous beneficial effect of the Inflector blinds difficult to believe. The owner said “we have our home back”.  Another satisfied client!