Stuart Dantzic, Managing Director of Caribbean Blinds, joined a high-profile panel at the Glazing Summit to discuss the growing overheating crisis in UK homes and the role of smarter solar shading.
The event, held at the Coventry Building Society Arena on October 9, coincided with the launch of Caribbean Blinds’ new white paper on overheating, which explores how homeowners and installers can tackle rising temperatures.
The panel, chaired by Dr Ben Roberts, senior lecturer in Healthy Buildings at Loughborough University, brought together experts including Ruth Henderson, MD of Vacuum Glazing Network and Dave Tiller, technical director at Ventrolla.
Discussions focused on balancing daylight, window size and thermal performance, highlighting the urgency of mitigating overheating as UK summers grow hotter. Stuart Dantzic stressed that external shading offers a simple yet highly effective solution, reducing solar gain before it enters buildings, complementing large windows and helping maintain comfort while retaining winter heat.
Ruth Henderson outlined the benefits of vacuum glazing, a technology that allows larger windows without increased heat gain and Dave Tiller emphasised the importance of a joined-up approach for historic and heritage buildings. He discussed working with conservation officers and surveyors to integrate performance solutions without compromising character, which led Stuart to highlight how Victorian-style awnings and other modern alternatives can do just this. With impressive solar shading capabilities and endless design possibilities, these products demonstrate that effective external shading can be sympathetic to traditional aesthetics.
The panel agreed that combining high-performance glazing with external shading solutions offers a holistic solution for energy efficiency, wellbeing and homeowner comfort. Stuart Dantzic commented: “Large windows and bifold doors are hugely popular but they also let in a lot of heat. External blinds stop that heat at source. They are simple, effective and overlooked. Changing how people think about them could make a big difference.”
Caribbean Blinds’ white paper (Climate Crisis: Cooling Cure) includes exclusive insights from UK homeowners and underlines the importance of educating more people about overheating. It offers practical guidance to installers on passive cooling measures that reduce energy use and improve comfort.
To download your free copy today, visit: https://cbsolarshading.plx.mk/whitepaper
