10 Energy Efficient Ways to Treat the Windows

window
Photo by stux, CC0 1.0
Everyone knows that climate change is the real deal and it’s up to all of us to take some individual responsibility to make our homes and daily lives a bit more energy efficient. However, it can be tough to figure out where exactly to start in living a sustainable lifestyle. Down below, we’ve listed some of the top energy efficient ways that you can treat your windows – a great place to start in helping to lower your overall carbon footprint.
1. Awnings
One of the biggest reasons why you might be having a larger carbon footprint during the summer than you normally would is because you’re using more AC. This is because the sun probably directly hits into your home through your windows, heating your home up. A fantastic way to stop using so much energy from the AC and lower your electricity costs is to install awnings on you windows to keep that heat from coming in as much.
2. Interior Blinds
Window blinds are fantastic ways of keeping the heat from entering into your home during the summer time, causing you to crank up that AC. When you have, interior blinds installed on your windows, you are able to customize how much light and heat you want to get into your home. Plus, they don’t look too bad when they match the style of your home.
3. Exterior Blinds
If you want to go crazy with the blinds, you can install some exterior blinds as well to control that sunshine. When you lower exterior shades, no sun can get in and you can cool down your home when the sun is shining strong.
4. Draperies
Depending on the type of drapery that you use, it could be more effective or less effective in controlling heat gain during the summer. If you go for white drapes on your windows, these are going to reflect light much more effectively than black drapes. On the same level, watch out for the type of material used in the drapes, as this will strongly determine how much heat is absorbed or reflected.
5. High Reflectivity Films
When you add high reflectivity films onto your windows, these will help to reflect away those summer rays. Mirror-like films are going to be much more effective than colored ones, so watch out for that when you’re shopping around.
6. Insulated Panels
Installing foam board insulation in your window is a great way to dispel the summer heat. You simply push or clip it into the interior of the window and you’re going to see a ton of savings on your monthly AC bills.
7. Mesh Window Screens
If you install mesh window screens onto your windows, you could see a lot of summer heat and radiation deflected. They are most effective on those windows that are facing east and west, so be sure to keep this in mind when placing them.
 
8. Overhangs
Installing overhangs on your windows is also a great way to control that summer heat. This can be a bit tricky, so it’s best to get a construction expert to help in this installation process if you want to get it right and get the most efficiency out of them.
9. Shades
When you install them properly, window shades can be one of the easiest ways to control the heat intake in your home. It’s even better to use dual shades, if you want some extra efficiency. Be sure to ask about these when you head to the store.
10. Shutters
Shutters are the last way to treat your windows that we’ll talk about in this article. They not only looks great on many homes – you can control how much sun you want to be let in during the summer time.
All of these windows are for the most part easy to install and could do wonders for your monthly electricity bills and how sustainable you are acting. Be sure to try them out and see much energy you can save this summer!

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