ES-SO wants solar shading as a mandatory European measure for climate neutral buildings.

ES-SO, the umbrella organisation for the professional solar shading associations within the EU, has been promoting the benefits of solar shading in buildings for 15 years – an industry which saw a remarkable 40% sales growth recorded last year. ​ The launch of a new logo aims to reinforce its mission: dynamic solar shading as a sustainable and energy-efficient solution for building overheating and daylight management, thereby endorsing the EU ambition to become a climate-neutral Europe by 2050.

With a new corporate identity ES-SO aims to focus attention to the global challenges of increasing heatwaves and a planet screaming for less CO₂ emissions. Through research, training, and advocacy work, ES-SO continues to lobby policy makers to recognise the importance of solar shading and to regulate it to help achieve the ambitious EU climate goals.

Peter Winters, founding member and past President: “In 2005 we established ES-SO with 6 members and today our organisation spans 18 European countries. Climate urgency is hot on the EU agenda and entire industries and end-users are demanding more green solutions. We are keen to take our ambitions to the next level with our new brand identity.”

Ann Van Eycken, Secretary General ​ of ES-SO: “Our new identity future-proofs our message. Three words sum up the new ES-SO logo: architecture, sustainability and wellbeing. It conveys to policy makers, architects & specifiers that solar shading is the greenest and most sustainable solution to combat overheating in buildings. It contributes to occupant wellbeing and brings character and emotion to architectural design. In a world tackling environmental issues like carbon emissions, pollution, and biodiversity loss, we need a future built around positivity. Solar shading contributes to a better future and our new corporate identity reflects this.”

Visual Elements Explained

Working with Agenzia Yes!, a prestigious Italian Agency,the new brand design adapts to the digital world. Characterised by the 3 -dimensional “E” which is the new symbol of the association, the minimalistic and pure lines reflect the architectural element shading brings to buildings.

The colour palette ranges from blue to green, including a soft yellow. Blue represents the benefits of natural daylight such as the feeling of wellbeing and increased productivity. Green stands for climate-neutral, sustainability and energy-saving factors which solar shading provides. The yellow represents the sun as the most important green energy resource available, but which needs to be carefully managed to benefit and protect all life on earth. The graduation between the colours reflects the shading systems themselves, such mechanisms can be traced back to Egyptian, Islamic and Persian cultures where they were used to protect buildings from overheating but also to evoke emotions and make the world a more beautiful place to live in.

ABOUT ES-SO www.es-so.com
​ES-SO is a not-for-profit organization established in Brussels. ES-SO aims to promote the positive impact of solar shading solutions on the management of indoor climate, thereby supporting the ambitious energy efficiency commitments of the EU. ES-SO serves as the umbrella organization for the professional solar shading associations within mostly EU Members. Europe’s solar shading industry employs more than 450,000 people across the 27 Member States and generates annual sales of over €22 billion. Located in Brussels, ES-SO is ideally placed to ensure that the industry's voice is heard and that it can make a positive contribution toward the EU’s energy goals. ES-SO is also involved in various EU projects and acts in both a contributory and advisory capacity.

Press Relations Contact
​Ann Van Eycken I Secretary General ES-SO I +32 2 313 99 44 I ann.vaneycken@es-so.com