With the beautiful year round temperatures here in Sacramento, it should come as no surprise that many homeowners want to keep their home’s comfortable without the added expense of running the A/C. Would you like to be able to keep your house cooler while saving energy and avoiding an A/C war with your family all at the same time? It’s never too early to think about new sunscreens for your home!
SOLAR ENERGY IS AN EVERPRESENT FACTOR
Solar energy is a free energy resource that when properly managed can be used to provide needed daylighting and heat energy in a building. Unmanaged solar heat gain introduces heat energy into a building when and where it’s not needed. When sunlight enters your home, it turns into heat, which in turn increases the amount of electric energy required to maintain comfortable conditions within the building. You’ll keep your house cooler if you reduce solar heat gain by keeping sunlight out. Shading devices can be a very effective way to lessen solar heat gain. Exterior shading is more effective at reducing solar gains than interior shades (mini blinds are a common example) because the solar heat absorbed or deflected by the shading device isn’t transferred into the building. Sunscreens are a perfect exterior shading option for all homeowners!
NEW SUNSCREENS MIGHT BE THE ANSWER
The majority of sunlight striking an unprotected glass window passes through into your home, while only a small percentage is reflected. Sunscreens dramatically reduce the amount of sunlight striking the window. Most of the sun’s heat is absorbed or reflected by the screen and carried away by convective air currents created by the warm screen. Sunscreens are made to reduce anywhere from 80-90% of the sun’s heat before it enters your home via your windows. This significant reduction decreases the amount of heat that your air conditioning unit has to remove from your home. Absorbing heat and dispersing it into the air surrounding the screen significantly lower the amount of heat that actually reaches the window.
SUNSCREEN BENEFITS
You may be wondering if new sunscreens are right for you and your home. This is a valid question. Sunscreens offer many benefits, such as:
• Saving energy by reducing you’re A/C use up to 30%;
• Reducing utility costs (this reduction alone will often pay for the sunscreens within 2-4 years);
• Reducing fading and sun rot on your furniture, drapes and carpet (which is commonly caused by the sun’s harsh UV rays);
• Making your home more inviting and less cave-like (face it, keeping your shades/curtains/blinds closed all day really reduces the amount of natural lighting inside your home); and
• Increasing your daytime privacy by allowing you to see out (unobstructed views are nice) while not allowing anyone to see in.
In an attempt to keep the house cool, many homeowners shut their blinds or curtains. Unfortunately for them, that’s not a very effective method, as shutting the interior window coverings only keeps the direct sunlight from pouring into the room. Unbeknownst to you, the window’s hot glass is still radiating heat past the window coverings. Need an added bit of encouragement to make the decision to have new sunscreens installed? Many utility companies (SMUD, PG&E and Roseville Electric to name a few) believe so strongly in sunscreens that they often offer their residential customers a sizable rebate for installing them! Rebate offers vary from year to year and usually are available until funds run out. A to Z is familiar with all current rebate programs and will be happy to help you obtain and complete all necessary forms. Any of our sales representatives would be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding current utility rebates or our many sunscreen options. Call us today!