Energy Costs – Stellar Sunscreens

What are the Solar Screens?

Solar screens are usually the dark panels that are installed or placed on the windows. The purpose of a solar screen is to deflect the sunlight to prevent the sun glare from entering the house. It combats the sun’s heat without losing the view. A solar screen can prevent almost 90% of the sunlight from touching the windows.

Besides providing houses with less sun glare, there are other advantages of solar screens. By placing the screen on the windows, people can significantly reduce the sun’s fading effect that has on carpets, curtains and wood furniture. Therefore, it will increase the durability of these indoor furniture while keeping the homes comfortable.

When considering whether solar screens are right for your home there are several things to consider. The area in which you live and how your house is positioned in comparison with the sun are just a few. Some people are unsure if they will benefit from solar screen installation or are hesitant to make the investment. Here are a few considerations to help you decide if solar screens will work for you.

High energy bills

When you notice that your energy bill seems high or they increase substantially during the summer months you could be overworking your AC unit. This could be due to the amount of sunlight that is entering your home bringing more heat with it. Approximately 65% of the heat that enters your home will enter through your windows.

There are several other reasons for this such as poor insulation, the need for updated windows, etc. However, if this is not the case for your situation, installing solar screens can help decrease the amount of heat that enters your home meaning cooler interior and less work for the AC unit.

Adding sun screens to your home could help you save, on average, 30% or more on your homes energy bill.

East or West facing windows

Windows that face a rising or setting sun are bombarded with sunlight. Many people use blinds or curtains but these don’t allow you to take in your outdoor scenery. If the window faces something you want to be able to see solar screens are a great option. They will reduce the glare, UV rays, and heat from the sun. You are able to see out of the window while protecting your home and eyes.

With the direct sunlight on east and west facing windows comes an increase in heat entering those windows alone. Adding sunscreens to windows that just face east or west will help to decrease the amount of heat entering your home giving you great energy savings.

Want to increase home’s value or aesthetics

When looking to update your homes exterior while increasing its value, adding sun screens is a great cost-effective option. They provide a sleek look and help market your house as more energy efficient.

There are several options for your exterior windows or even pool areas when utilizing solar screens. Whether it is pull down shades or the normal window frame screens. Either way, you are putting more into your investment.

Picking a color that is aesthetically pleasing and compliments your exterior paint and design will be beneficial in giving a more pleasant and appealing look to your home.

Need for privacy

If you notice you have some nosey neighbors or you just enjoy a little more privacy during the day, then solar screens are a great option. The color and solar blockage percentage will have some effect on the privacy your screen will provide.

Solar blockage percentage is the openness of the screen, with most quality solar screens blocking 90% of solar rays. The higher the percentage the smaller the openness of the screen. With smaller screen openness comes less visibility inward and outward. Knowing what your preference is is important. If you enjoy still being able to view your amazing landscape then you may want to go with styles that have lower blockage percentages.

While there are several options for colors with solar screens, darker screens are better for outward visibility when inside your home and more privacy during the daytime. They also reduce more glare than the lighter colored screens.

It is important to note that during the day solar screens provide great privacy, however during the night if you have lights on in your house, the solar screen may provide little privacy as it will be easier to see inside your home.

Interior damage

The suns rays wreak havoc an anything that it touches. It can ruin anything it comes in contact with through discoloration and fading. If you have furniture, paintings, carpet, flooring, or any other household items you want to protect from the harshness of UV rays then solar screens are the way to go.

Most installed solar screens block up to 90% of the suns light leaving your belongings more protected. This equals more savings for you as you won’t have to replace furniture as often as well as less rotating of furniture to equal out the fading spots!

The sun’s glare is affecting interior comfort

When the sun is glaring through your windows while you are enjoying your favorite book or that long-awaited tv show, it makes it extremely difficult to actually enjoy or even see what you are doing. You have to position and keep repositioning yourself to keep the glare out or away from where the action is taking place. Solar screens are great to reduce glare and keep you free to see or read any time you please without distraction or squinting.

Those who suffer from migraines that are brought on by light could also benefit from this as solar screens will reduce the amount of sunlight that enters your home. Providing you a darker environment to escape the oppression and pain caused by the sunlight.

Using solar screens can also be beneficial to your eyes. UV rays can cause eye damage with extended exposure. This is why doctors suggest people wear sunglasses, to help protect against the UV damage. Essentially adding sunglasses to your windows can be beneficial for your eye health.

Adding solar screens offers several benefits to you and your home. When considering whether to purchase solar screens for your home consider what your goals are how solar screens will help to achieve these. If you want to save money, add value to your home, protect your interior, and increase privacy then solar screens will be a cost-effective way to accomplish this. Many statistics suggest that after just 2 years the amount of savings you get from installing solar screens will have been enough to pay for themselves!

Advantages of Keeping Your House Cool Naturally

Cooling a home through a natural process offers a myriad range of benefits. After all, the use of air conditioners can use almost 1/6th of the overall electricity consumption of the household during the summer. As a result, people observe a sudden hike in their utility bills.

The advantages of keeping the house cool naturally are:

The natural process of cooling a house includes adding more trees and shrubs in the landscape which in turn blocks the heat.
Instead of using Ac the natural cooling process involves using programmable thermostats that can save on your cooling bills by almost 10% a year.

These are the few advantages of keeping the house cool through a natural process. Moreover, the amount spent on utility bills can be saved in this process.

When summer hits things can start to heat up in your home which means feeling cranky and uncomfortable as well as spending more on energy bills. Keeping cool can be difficult, especially for those without AC. There are several things you can do to help beat the heat in your home as well as decrease energy spending cost.

Keep Blinds and Shades Closed

If you have a lot of windows that offer direct sunlight, you are losing a lot of cool air and gaining a lot of heat. Using blinds, sunscreens, blackout curtains, or shades could help lower your energy bills up to 30% by blocking up to 90% of the sun’s heat from getting into your home.

When using sunscreens on your windows the temperature in your home could lower by 12 degrees. This alone could make a huge difference in your home.

If you enjoy having natural sunlight and struggle to keep sunscreens closed or down, consider closing the sunscreens that are facing the sun directly while keeping the other windows open or slightly open. Keeping out the direct sunlight will give you the most benefit from your blinds while offering some of that natural light in.

There are several different window shade options for both inside and outside your home. Combining awnings with curtains could increase the amount of sunlight that is blocked, creating a cooler space for you.

Ceiling Fan Rotation

Most ceiling fans have two rotation setting, clockwise and counterclockwise. During the summer months, you want to make sure your ceiling fans are set to spin counterclockwise. This creates the windy breeze that will help cool you down.

If you stand under your fan and do not feel a cool breeze your fan is set to rotate clockwise. This is used during the winter months to create an updraft. The updraft essentially pulls the hot air that rises back down to be redistributed in the room. This is not what you want in the summer months.

When using a ceiling fan you are able to slightly turn down your thermostat saving you energy. If you want more savings make sure to turn your fans off if you are not in the room.

Ditch the Incandescent Lights

Some light bulbs give off a lot of heat. Incandescent lights being one of them. These light bulbs use 90% of their energy through the heat they give off. Though you may not notice a huge change in the room by doing this you are making a difference.

Many people are going to LED lights as well as CFL’s. These light bulbs give off little heat and are energy efficient saving you money in the long run. LED lights, in particular, have long lives meaning less time spent changing bulbs for you.

Get your Grill on

In the summer months, some people dread cooking. The thought of turning on the stove or oven when it’s hot could make you want to run off to the nearest restaurant. Though this is a great alternative to cooking, it can get a bit pricey.

Instead, head outside to the grill. Grilling your food will help keep your houses’ temperature down and still leave you with a cool place to escape the outdoor heat. Plus you get to show off your awesome grilling skills as well as fill the neighborhood with amazing bbq smells!

Home Improvements

There are several things you can do to your home and landscape to help keep your home cool. Many of these options can also increase the value of your home as well. Which is an added bonus!

Windows

We have already talked about adding sunscreens and shades but what about new windows? If your windows are old or they have seals that don’t seal properly, getting these things fixed or updated will help keep your home insulated and cool.

Newer windows may come with window tints which adds to the cooling effect in your home by decreasing the amount of sunlight to enter.

Landscape

If your yard is pretty bare, adding a tree or two can add shade to your home providing relief from the intense sun. You want to make sure you plant your trees on the sides of your house that gets the most sun. This is probably the most beneficial on the east and west sides of your home as that is where the sun rises and sets.

Adding vines or shrubbery may also help in cooling down your home though they are not as beneficial as adding trees to your yard.

Attic

If your home has an attic, checking the insulation is important. If your attic is not insulated you could be losing up to 20% of the cool air through your ceiling. Installing installation could greatly affect your energy cost.

It is also beneficial to be knowledgeable of how your home is insulated overall. Adding insulation throughout your home could help to keep your home cooler in the summer months and warmer in winter.

AC Unit and Duct

If you have an Ac unit, it is important to properly maintain it. This increases the life of the unit as well as ensures you aren’t spending a lot on wasted energy cost. It is advised people change their filters once a month as well as inspect your ducts. This can help decrease how hard your AC has to work to cool down your house. If you find any leaks in your ducts you will want to fix these to make sure your air is going and staying where you want it.

If it is time to replace your old AC unit looking for an energy efficient unit is the way to go. This provides efficient cooling ability with cost-effectiveness.

These five suggestions will help to keep your home cooler throughout those intense summer months and save you money in the long run. Staying cool and comfortable is important when trying to enjoy a relaxing day at home or entertaining friends and family.

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When to Consider Buying Solar Screens