Although it is the middle of winter, you might encourage your customers to start thinking about how they can get ahead on energy savings for the summer. Before the first heatwave, and the AC is put on full blast, and the high energy bills begin to arrive, here are few things you to know about how your customers can save some dough on energy bills this summer.
Awnings can reduce cooling energy by 25%.
This can result in an annual savings of $200 or more a year, according to the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association (PAMA). The first step in cutting energy consumption is to figure out which side of the house gets shade to determine where the awning should be installed.
Awnings can reduce solar heat between 55 – 77%.
On southern-facing windows, fabric awnings can reduce heat between 55-65%, and 72-77% on western-facing windows. Since the sun’s rays can increase the temperature in a home by 20%, an awning can help the home stay cool and reduce the customer’s dependency on air conditioning.
Shades and awnings work in conjunction with air conditioning.
According to the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers, external shade devices like retractable awnings can minimize the heat load of a home. When the amount of heat coming into the home is reduced, air conditioning use can be reduced as well. This will not only help save costs on energy bills, but is also environmentally friendly. By using less energy, customer can offset their carbon footprint by emitting fewer greenhouse gases into the air.
The type of fabric on an awning can influence energy savings.
Choosing a fabric for the awning is important because it can influence how much heat comes comes into the home and how much energy is saved. Choosing fabrics that are light in color helps reflect the sun’s rays away from the home. Dark colored awnings absorb heat and are ideal in colder climates that get a lot of light through the windows. Luckily, Rainier Shade offers Sunbrella ® fabrics in a variety of colors and patterns. Sunbrella makes one of the longest lasting fabrics on the market, and is guaranteed not to fade for 10 years. For more information on Sunbrella fabric, click here.
A useful tool in figuring out how to help your customers cut down energy costs in their home is the Home Energy Saver audit tool.
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