In a study conducted by ESTIA (Building Physics and sustainable development school located in Lausanne, Switzerland), window blind operation was studied via webcam over period of one year to determine how many times the occupants manually adjusted the position of the blind. 500 000 pictures were captured and analyzed in terms of movement up/down or changing the angle of the slats.
Conclusion: Manual blinds moved less than twice per week.
“The worst results are for the facades with manually crank operated blinds. Their inefficiency is twice that of a facade with motorized solar protections controlled via remote control or wall switch.”
This results in the solar shading most of the time being in a non-optimal position, especially from an energy management perspective.
Automation is the key to performance, savings, security and a healthy indoor climate, and also to secure and maximize the life span of the installation.
(Source: ESTIA Study, Bernard Paule, 2014.)