Chilly winters, hot summers…and everything in between the rest of the year. That pretty much sums up the climate here in Omaha. Finding a way to bring in mood-enhancing sunlight while keeping out the harsh conditions can be a challenge. Not only that, but some windows in your home are more prone to energy loss than others. Let’s take a look.

Energy Loss Issues

Do you wonder if there is one-size-fits-all solution to energy loss? Well, there can be–it really depends what you’re facing and how you’d like to solve it. Let’s start by giving more information about how energy is lost so you can identify the best energy saving window treatments.

The first problem is what we are going to call the “hot spots.” No, we aren’t talking about connecting to the internet. These are the bright areas that are made on the floor or walls when sun shines directly into your home and hits a surface. When that light makes contact, it heats up quickly, even much hotter than it is outside. Hot spots can occur year-round, even when it’s brutally cold outside. You know who could show you where the hot spots are in your home? Your pets. They make their way into these baking hot spaces to take naps throughout the day. The heat lulls them to sleep. To keep this phenomenon from happening, you have to stop the light from entering and heating up surfaces.

What’s next? Let’s call it the “Greenhouse Effect.” The light enters, as described above. But, once it’s created, chances are, there’s nowhere for it to go. The sunlight will continue to enter, heating up the space, rising into the air–because we know that heats rises, influencing the air particles surrounding the space to also heat up. The next thing you know, your home is baking inside. This causes your thermostat to trigger your AC, and it runs continually until it lowers the temperature. The problem is, without stopping the sunlight from entering, this will occur non-stop. On a chilly morning, you might like this effect. The middle of a hot summer day? Not so much.

Another way you’re losing energy at the window is from the air moving just outside the glass. Chances are, if you’ve looked into purchasing new windows, or you have already put them in, there was a lot of talk about R-value and energy loss. This deals with that. Exterior air outside your home can greatly influence the air on the interior of the glass. It’s why you can feel a draft in the winter without your windows leaking or being open. That drafty feeling is the exterior air actually changing the temperature of the interior air just by moving against the glass on the other side of the window.

What Can Be Done?

Energy saving window coverings can greatly reduce the chance of energy loss at the window. This is why it helps to understand the science. Cellular shades, otherwise known as honeycomb shades, are a great way to block the light while also insulating the window. The sunlight enters the glass, hitting the surface of the shades, and that’s where much of it stops. The warm air that is created upon hitting the shade may heat up the shade. And that’s where you’ll find the honeycomb shape to be nothing short of genius. Inside are pockets of air. That warm air may enter, getting trapped, much like it does in your home. But it doesn’t enter the room or mix in with the interior air. It allows the air in your room to remain at the temperature you prefer, without the AC running continuously.

Get to Know the Collections.

Our cellular shade collections include Duette Honeycomb Shades, Applause Honeycomb Shades and Sonnette Cellular Roller Shades. These three collections all perform the innovation described above–the difference between them can be associated with the available features and operating systems.

Other fabrics are capable of preventing energy loss, as well. Both roman shades and drapery have a long track record of blocking the sun from entering and absorbing the heat. Depending on the fabrics selected, even roller shades can stop the greenhouse effect from happening in your home.

Plantation shutters are another great option. They frame the entire inside of the window, and when closed can be an amazing way to insulate. But, they even have a good effect when the louvers are open. Shutters allow you to reduce the amount of air movement. They also adjust–which means that by directing the lighting upwards, you can gently bring natural light into your home without worrying about the hot spots being created, as the sunlight direction won’t shine straight in when the louvers are in this position.

Got more questions? Reach out to our team at Integrated Windows! We’d love to help you troubleshoot energy loss in your home!