Coolmonkey · Technology comparison

Comparison of shading technologies for industrial halls

An overview of the most common ways to stop an industrial hall from overheating through its roof skylights — external thermal fabric, internal shading, solar coatings and films, and air conditioning alone. The comparison uses the parameters we state for the Coolmonkey system and the commonly available properties of the other solutions.

01 — Comparison

Four approaches to an overheating hall

The decisive difference is where solar energy is intercepted. External shading stops it before the skylight glazing; every other solution deals with heat that is already inside the building.

Solution	Where heat is stopped	Daylight	Structural impact	Maintenance	Note
External thermal fabric (Coolmonkey)	Before it enters the building	Preserved, without glare	No drilling into the upper skylight structure	Minimal, seasonal check and cleaning	Temperature drop of 7–15 °C, payback in 2 to 4 years.
Internal shading (blinds, screens under the skylight)	Indoors, the heat is already in the hall	Preserved, partly diffused	Anchored to the internal structure	Cleaning and drive mechanics	Handles glare, but only limits thermal load to a degree.
Solar coating or film on the glazing	At the glazing plane	Permanently reduced	Applied directly to the skylight infill	Maintenance-free, but limited lifespan	Shorter lifespan than fabric, local repair is difficult.
Air conditioning only	Does not address the source, removes the effect	Unchanged	Ductwork and units inside the hall	Regular service, continuous consumption	Cooling air by 1 °C is roughly three times more expensive than heating it.

02 — When each makes sense

How to decide

The hall overheats through its skylights

Stopping radiation outside the building is the most effective route. See the skylight shading page for parameters.

Economics and payback decide

Weigh operating savings against the one-off investment — we describe the method on the savings and ROI page.

You are comparing material parameters

Transmittance, UV and hail resistance and spectral behaviour are covered on the Coolmonkey fabrics page.

Skylight shading in practiceHow external shading performs on a real hall and what temperature drop it delivers.How we calculate shading paybackProject economics, operating savings and return on investment.CM20 and CM40 fabric parametersThermal fabric properties, radiation filtering and material durability.

Not sure which solution fits your hall?

We will review your skylight type and operation and calculate the savings.

Request a free quote