Energy Efficient Awnings can save you Money
Posted on Wednesday, January 28th, 2015 at 3:50 pm.
Awnings can be beautiful additions to any home or business. They allow home or business owners to showcase a bit of personality and add a pop of color and sophistication. Though awnings provide endless aesthetic benefits, they once served a more functional purpose. With the advent of air conditioning, awnings lost some of their status as a necessity. Many people do not realize that window awnings are an incredibly energy efficient addition to your property. No matter what style or color you choose, your energy efficient awning will add flair and subtract dollars from your energy bill.
It’s simple. Awnings keep the sun out
When it gets especially hot and sunny outside one of your greatest costs will be maintaining a cool and comfortable temperature inside. Your windows can put a great strain on your air conditioner and force it to expend extra energy to cool your house. It is estimated that when the sun’s rays are allowed to freely pass through your windows, your air conditioner takes on 20 percent more work. This is particularly troublesome for older homes with original, single-paned windows.
The solution to this problem is a window awning. These attractive additions to your home provide shade around your windows, and quite simply, prevent sunlight from entering your home. Any kind of awning can perform this simple task whether it is retractable, metal, or fabric. Fabric awnings are the most energy efficient option, as they are tightly woven, but still allow for some ventilation. This keeps heat from being trapped under the awning around the window.
It may seem as though the return would be small, but the effect of an awning on your energy savings is anything but trivial. For south-facing windows, solar heat gain can be reduced by as much as 65 percent and for west-facing windows, it can be reduced by 75 percent. In some cases, this can amount to savings of up to a few hundred dollars each year.
Winter Savings
Retractable fabric awnings can even help you save during the winter months. By giving yourself the option of rolling up your awning, you can produce the opposite effect. Instead of blocking the sun, roll up your retractable awning in the winter to let the sun in. This natural source of heat can take some of the strain off of your heating system.
When your neighbors see how stylish your new energy efficient awning looks, you can encourage them to make the same addition to their own homes. With the whole neighborhood in on your energy saving plan, you can make an even greater impact on the earth.
Carroll Awning provides the best quality energy efficient awnings and frames for any business or restaurant, as well as homes and apartments, for any time of the year. For a free estimate, call 1-800-999-5617 or click here to contact us online.