Shade

Shade is the blocking of sunlight (in particular direct sunshine) by any object. It may refer to blocking of sunlight by a roof, or by a tree, by an umbrella, or anything else.

Shade is an important issue in temperate and tropical zones for providing cooling and shelter from the sun. Providing certain configurations of shading is an important passive solar technique. This may be done with overhangs, with shade trees, or with vines.

Shading using non-living materials blocks the sun, but also results in sunlight being absorbed and re-radiated as heat, or in sunlight being reflected as glare. Green plants, on the other hand, not only absorb a significant portion of the sunlight to invest as energy in photosynthesis to produce sugar, but also actively transpire, producing an additional cooling effect.

See also Shadow.