“Your bonus question, worth five points – What is a brise soleil?
Come on York, come on. We don’t have all day. “ [Jeremy Paxman, University Challenge, November 2015] For months the focus of my blog has been on the big stuff: straw cladding panels, vast arrays of photo-voltaic cells, glulam timber frames, the benefits of underfloor heating and concrete floors. This week work has progressed on two smaller but equally important parts of the building.  | | The "Brise Soleil"! |
First, the brise soleil. “Brise soleil” is French for breaking, crushing or smashing the sun. This simple but effective mechanical device is designed to prevent solar gain inside buildings. It consists of a shade positioned over a window in such a way as to prevent the sun from hitting the window. Unlike a blind or awning which can be extended or retracted, the brise soleil is a permanent structure. With no moving parts there is little chance of it going wrong. But it is not as blunt or unsophisticated an instrument as it may at first seem. In summer, when the sun is high in the sky, the brise soleil blocks sunlight from hitting the window, preventing the sun from warming the inside of the building. In winter however, when the sun is low in the sky, the positioning of the brise soleil is such that the sun passes beneath it and hits the window. Thus in winter the building gets the benefit of the sun’s energy and avoids the solar gain in summer, when it is not needed. Thank you to the French for this elegant method of improving the energy efficiency of buildings. The photo shows the structure in place over the lower windows of the ecoDepot. The upper storey still needs wooden slats fitting.  | | Light sensor |
Another small but important energy saving device is found inside. The sensor sunk into the wooden beam in the photo detects movement beneath it and switches on the lights in that section of the building. With large open plan areas it would be wasteful to light the entire area if only one person is present. The sensors permit a more energy efficient way of managing the lighting. Yes, I know what you’re thinking: if someone is sitting at a desk not moving a muscle for an hour will the lights suddenly go off leaving said person in the dark? The answer is yes, after 30 minutes [as currently set] that is what will happen. But let’s be honest if someone is at their desk not moving a muscle for an hour the chances are they will be asleep. These devices, light sensors and brise soleil, are two more components in the drive to make the ecoDepot the most energy efficient building in York. To finish – a clear photo showing what all the fuss is about. The Three Ages of York unveiled.  | | The three ages of York |
It is a shame I couldn’t get the scaffolding at the east end of the Minster removed for the photo but hey! Those of you who have seen the previous blogs may notice a difference in content between this image and the previous one, taken while the scaffolding was still up. The Foss Islands incinerator is no more, giving a clearer view of the Minster. I cannot pretend to understand why it is that the incinerator was earmarked for removal but the tall chimney is considered a vital part of our heritage but I do know that many people love tall brick chimneys and, in politics, there is little point in making more enemies than you have to. The chimney stays [not that I have any say in it]. I enjoyed fifteen minutes in full body harness, ten metres up in a cherry picker to take this picture. I imagine it won’t be very long before the ecoDepot gets listed status, like the Minster and the tall chimney. In the ecoDepot we have not only a practical building but also an icon for the region and beyond, an icon that demonstrates a practical way of tackling Climate Change by transforming the way we build. If that doesn’t qualify it for listed status then the listed status rules need tweaking. Christian, Energy Champion, City of York Council, 03/11/06 | 
