A self-powered dynamic photovoltaic sunshade system having sunshades constructed of lightweight ETFE panels covered with at least one thin film of photovoltaic cells. The sunshades track the sun by light detectors, and move against the sun from east to west to block direct rays. The ETFE fabric is stretched on a lightweight frame, which rotates vertically around its axis as a pivotal panel for maximum solar protection. Sunshades rotate to face the sun by day, and reset to a starting position at night. Each sunshade is rotated by a stepped electric motor, powered by thin film(s) of solar photovoltaic cells. Sunshades are suspended between an electric motor shaft and a lower hinge. The sunshades are designed to provide sustainable dynamic shading for building facades exposed to different sun angles, are self-powered, and can generate electric power for other building functions, such as lighting and fan ventilation inside a building.

Intelligent building control systems utilize sky information from a camera or cameras to facilitate control of building systems such as lighting, motorized window coverings, electrochromic glazings, HVAC systems, and so forth. Based on the sky information, interior lighting intensity and/or color temperature may be modified, for example in order to achieve a desired circadian effect for building occupants. In this manner, energy efficiency and occupant comfort and convenience are improved.

Intelligent building control systems utilize sky information from a camera or cameras to facilitate control of building systems such as lighting, motorized window coverings, electrochromic glazings, HVAC systems, and so forth. Based on the sky information, interior lighting intensity and/or color temperature may be modified, for example in order to achieve a desired circadian effect for building occupants. In this manner, energy efficiency and occupant comfort and convenience are improved.

A sensor may detect glare from a recorded image and a shade position of a motorized window treatment may be controlled based on the position of the detected glare in the image. A luminance of a pixel may be calculated in an image and a glare condition may be detected based on the luminance of the pixel. For example, the sensor may start at a first pixel in a bottom row of pixels and step through each of the pixels on the bottom row before moving to a next row of pixels. When the sensor detects a glare condition, the sensor may cease processing the remaining pixels of the image. The sensor may calculate a background luminance of the image by reordering the pixels of the image from darkest to lightest and calculating the luminance of a pixel that is a predetermined percentage from the darkest pixel.

A clock comprises an alarm clock housing having a front face, a clock display occupying at least a portion of the front face, a control on the housing for activating a shade positioning function, and a processor within the housing. The processor is responsive to the control for generating at least one shade positioning command to be transmitted to at least one motorized window shade, so as to cause the motorized window shade to move to one or more position at one or more corresponding predetermined interval relative to an alarm time.

A prefabricated modified bitumen waterproofing membrane includes a middle layer formed of a non-woven polyester and/or fiberglass reinforcement fabric, an upper layer and a bottom layer of bitumen asphalt modified with SBS (Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene), APP (Atactic Polypropylene) or TPO (Thermoplastic Polyolefin) polymers, aluminum flakes on a top surface of the upper layer, and polyolefin film covering the bottom layer. In a preferred embodiment, the aluminum flakes having a size ranging between 0.508 mm to 2.032 mm in length, 0.508 mm to 1.016 mm in width and 0.02 mm to 0.03 mm in thickness. The top surface, with aluminum flakes applied thereto, has a Solar Reflective Index (SRI) equal to or greater than 73, a reflectance of at least 0.72 and a thermal emittance of at least 0.18.

A motorized window treatment for controlling the amount of daylight entering a space through a window includes a covering material, a drive shaft, and a motor coupled to the drive shaft for raising and lowering the covering material. The window treatment also includes a spring assist unit for assisting the motor by providing a torque that equals the torque provided by the weight on the cords that lift the covering material at a position midway between fully-open and fully-closed positions to minimize motor usage and conserve battery life. The window treatment may comprise a photosensor for measuring the amount of daylight outside the window and temperature sensors for measuring the temperatures inside and outside of the window. The position of the covering material may be automatically controlled in response to the photosensor and the temperature sensors, or in response to an infrared or radio-frequency remote control.

A reflective particulate material includes a particulate substrate having high total solar reflectance, bulk and apparent densities and toughness, and a low dust index. The reflective particulate can have a total solar reflectance of 80% to 87%, a toughness of 1% or fewer fines, an apparent density of 2.75 g/cm.sup.3 or greater, and a dust index of 1 or lower. A method of manufacturing the reflective particulate material includes preparing a slurry of the particulate substrate, spray drying the slurry to form a spray dried particulate, crushing the spray dried particulate to form a crushed particulate, and heating/calcining the crushed particulate. The heated, crushed particulate may further be coated to form a coated roofing granule.

Building heating and/or cooling methods of the present disclosure can include continuously distributing fluid from within conduits within a concrete floor of a building to conduits within grounds surrounding and/or supporting the building.

In one aspect, a method, system, and/or computer program product is described for generating a graphical user interface for providing information and controlling optically switchable windows connected by a network. Windows are graphically represented using interactive smart objects that are placed within views of the graphical user interface in a manner corresponding to their physical location. In another aspect, a method, system, and/or computer program product is described for associating network IDs of optically switchable windows with the locations at which the windows are installed. Window locations are determined by analyzing received wireless transmissions that are sent from transmitters associated with each of the optically switchable windows. The determined locations are then compared with a representation of the building that provides the window locations. Upon comparison, the network ID of each window, which is communicated through eh window transmissions, is associated with the appropriate window location on the representation of the building.