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Window Coverings: Three Approaches to Reducing Your Energy Cost
If you are in a warm climate, even if only just during a warm spell, you can live cooler and, assuming you pay for your cooling, you can decrease your cooling costs by using proper window treatments on your west and south oriented windows. By keeping heat out of your interior of the house with proper shading of these windows, your home will be more comfortable and you'll use less energy to keep your home's interior at a reasonable temperature.
There are many different things that can be done easily to improve the shading on windows including screens, reflective films, and roller shades. We will cover just these three. When finding and buying for various products check to see if the labels indicate the "shading coefficient" of the product. The shading coefficient is based upon of the percentage of solar energy which is let through by the item in comparison to an unshaded single pane of glass of standard thickness and clarity. Shading Coefficient is a rating between 0 and 1. The lower the SC the better it is.
Solar screens are an inexpensive and very effective means of cutting down the amount of heat coming into your home through your windows. They are made of a metal frame with a nylon fabric stretched over it. You can purchase them ready made or build them yourself. If you purchase them they should cost you less than $75 for each window. On the other hand, you can buy the materials and make the screens yourself for under $20 for each window. Solar screens are installed on the outside of the windows. They are effective at blocking solar heat but they also reduce the view from the window. If you want to retain a clear view from your windows, you will be better off with another option.
There are many different things that can be done easily to improve the shading on windows including screens, reflective films, and roller shades. We will cover just these three. When finding and buying for various products check to see if the labels indicate the "shading coefficient" of the product. The shading coefficient is based upon of the percentage of solar energy which is let through by the item in comparison to an unshaded single pane of glass of standard thickness and clarity. Shading Coefficient is a rating between 0 and 1. The lower the SC the better it is.
Solar screens are an inexpensive and very effective means of cutting down the amount of heat coming into your home through your windows. They are made of a metal frame with a nylon fabric stretched over it. You can purchase them ready made or build them yourself. If you purchase them they should cost you less than $75 for each window. On the other hand, you can buy the materials and make the screens yourself for under $20 for each window. Solar screens are installed on the outside of the windows. They are effective at blocking solar heat but they also reduce the view from the window. If you want to retain a clear view from your windows, you will be better off with another option.
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