Your choice of window treatments has a large impact on your home’s energy efficiency. As much as 30% of your home’s heating and cooling energy is lost through your home’s windows, which has a dramatic effect on your home comfort, energy bills and even the environment.
Energy-efficient window blinds and shades help to provide insulation, control solar heat gain and can even use natural light to reduce your need for electric light, all of which save energy.
How Window Coverings Provide Insulation
During the winter months, Canadian homes are always colder around the window because glass alone cannot provide the insulating qualities that their walls and ceilings do. Window coverings help to insulate the window area, blocking cold from entering the room while preventing heat from escaping. High-quality window blinds and shades are energy efficient, creating a more effective source of insulation than cheaper materials. Some, such as cellular shades, which are the most insulating interior shades available, will trap the air inside, creating a barrier between you and the weather outside. Sometimes referred to as honeycomb shades, cellular shades provide the soft look of window shades along with the convenient functionality of horizontal blinds.
Reducing Your Need For Electric Lighting With Blinds and Shades
Some window treatments draw natural light into a room, reducing your need for electric lighting. As this natural light illuminates the room, it not only makes it more inviting but reduces your home’s energy use.
Using Window Blinds and Shades to Control Solar Heat Gain
By closing your blinds or shades in the summer, you’ll help to prevent the sun’s harsh rays from overheating your home. This helps to keep your home cooler, and your air conditioning system from working harder than it needs to. For those who want to enjoy the natural light while also improving energy efficiency, solar shades are a great option. Solar shades filter the sun’s harsh rays, making your home more energy-efficient, while still allowing you to see through them; something no other style of window treatment offers.
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/uPzDhLjhICs
Other Ways to Improve Energy Efficiency Through Window Treatments
Side Panels & Draperies
An elegant way to help prevent light gaps, while adding another layer of insulation to your windows. Heavier, more opaque fabrics help keep rooms warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
Interior Shutters
These stylish window treatments deliver insulating properties along with an air barrier to help keep your space more comfortable all year round.
Motorization and Smart Home Technology
The hottest trend in window treatments, motorization makes it easy to shield the interior of your home from the sun’s damaging rays. Schedule your blinds or shades to open or close at pre-set times or even temperatures to lessen the sun’s impact and protect your furnishings & flooring from sun damage, or to keep the cold out during the winter months. Seasonally optimize the schedule to reduce heating and cooling loads while maximizing natural light and home comfort. Many window treatments are now equipped with smart technology, allowing you to control your blinds through an app or voice technology. Your home’s heating and cooling system will thank you through lower energy bills.
Don’t forget sliding glass doors!
Window treatments such as Duette Architella Honeycomb Shades from Hunter Douglas are available with the Vertiglide® system, engineered for vertical applications. Using the same fabrics as found in cellular shades, these beautiful shades provide an additional layer of insulation to improve energy efficiency.
CTA: SCHEDULE YOUR IN-HOME CONSULTATION (Link: site signup)
