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Interior Design
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ENERGY SAVINGS
Energy-efficient window treatments translate into year-round savings on heating and cooling costs. The more you control heat-loss and heat-gain, the more money will be saved by keeping spaces warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Simple Numeric values for product and fabric type can help you gauge the energy efficiency of any window covering.
R-VALUE
A products ‘R-Value’ is a measurement of its ability to resist heat flow. During the winter, R-Values indicate the abilities of walls, roofs and windows to keep heat inside. The higher the R-Value, the more insulation a product provides.
The wall and roof of a well constructed home typically have an average R-Value of 25. The low-e double glazed windows can have an R-Value of 3.5. These windows would allow about seven times more energy to escape per square foot that the rest of the exterior. Windows are truly energy ‘holes.’
This is where the right window treatments can have a very positive impact. For example, a fully recessed honeycomb (cellular) opaque shade adds, on average, 3.56 to the R-Value of low-e windows. The shades double the efficiency of the R-3.5 windows and reduce heat loss through them by 50%
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC)
A products “Solar heat gain coefficient” is a measurement of its ability to reduce heat from the sun. When used with windows, it is the fraction of solar energy striking a window that actually passes through it to heat the room. SHGC is expressed as a number between zero (none) and 1 (all). The lower a window’s solar heat gain coefficient, the less solar energy it transmits.
The SHC of a standard double-glazed window is .76, meaning 76% on the incident solar energy is transmitted through it. If we add an opaque honeycomb (cellular) shade the solar heat gain coefficient drops to as low as 0.15 – only 15% of the incident solar energy enter the room to heat it. This reduces cooling load, saving energy and money.
The ‘Invisible Enemy’
Ultraviolet light, entering a space as sunlight, damages furnishings. In time it fades wood floors, upholstery, draperies, carpeting and artwork. Prolonged exposure to to sunlight causes natural, undyed fabrics to turn yellow, weakening their fibres and making them look old and worn prematurely.
Your Best Defence
The right window covering can be very effective an blocking ultraviolet rays. Such effectiveness is measured in terms of a ‘% UV Blockage’ rating. The higher the rating, the greater the UV protection.
Most window coverings offer 99% UV protection whether opaque or semi-opaque in the closed position. However in the real world we don’t want to shut out the world. We want the protection but we also want to enjoy or view. Standard drapery sheers provided 60% UV protection but are themselves damaged by the UV they block. Other products are designed to withstand UV while providing UV protection.
Examples
- 1% Suncreen shades – 99% UV Blockage
- 3% Sunscreen shades – 97% UV Blockage
- 5% Sunscreen shades – 95% UV Blockage
- 10% Sunscreen shades – 90% UV Blockage
Energy Savings
Homeownersrarely look at the costs of heating and cooling their homes. Believing that existing coverings or glass tinting, whether applied or as part of the building design are the most energy efficient treatments available and current costs of heating and cooling are simply a cost of maintaining the space and little can be done to reduce that cost.
Strain placed on heating cooling systems to maintain a comfortable environment is another cost and effect of inefficient window coverings. Excessive wear on these units and the costs to maintain them multiply the cost of energy inefficiency..
Managing excessive heat gain and loss is a fixed monthly expense that can be reduced with energy efficient window treatments.
The following table provides convenient way to compare the R-Values and the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient for various products. Within each category the various values will vary depending on fabrics, openness, operating options (IE: Top-Down, Bottom-Up). These values are based on shades that are inside mount, tight fitting.
|
|
Total R-Value with R-3.5 Window |
Total SHGC with 0.76 Window |
Daylighting Performance |
Ultraviolet Protection (% UV Blockage) |
|
BLINDS AND SHADES |
|
|
|
|
|
Honeycomb (Cellular) Shades |
6.49 |
0.21 |
Excellent |
99 |
|
Pleated Shades |
4.68 |
0.17 |
Very Good |
99 |
|
Vignette Modern Roman Shades |
4.81 |
0.28 |
Good |
99 |
|
Luminette Privacy Sheers |
4.36 |
0.20 |
Excellent |
99 |
|
Pirouette Window Shadings |
4.19 |
0.24 |
Excellent |
99 |
|
Silhouette/ Nantucket Window Shadings |
4.05 |
0.30 |
Superior |
99 |
|
Roman Shades |
4.95 |
.24 |
Good |
99 |
|
Semi-Opaque Roller Shades |
4.52 |
0.17 |
Good |
99 |
|
Sunscreen Roller Shades |
4.25 |
0.32 |
Excellent |
99 |
|
Panel Tracks |
3.74 |
0.27 |
Good |
99 |
|
Wood Blinds |
3.94 |
0.29 |
Very Good |
99 |
|
Faux Wood Blinds |
3.94 |
0.29 |
Very Good |
99 |
|
Vertical Blinds |
3.94 |
0.19 |
Very Good |
99 |
|
Aluminum Blinds |
3.90 |
0.32 |
Very Good |
99 |
|
Woven wood Romans |
4.82 |
0.24 |
Good |
99 |
|
SHUTTERS |
|
|
|
|
|
Richwood Shutters |
6.01 |
0.17 |
Very Good |
99 |
|
Vinyl Shutters |
5.68 |
0.21 |
Very Good |
99 |
|
Wood Shutters |
4.91 |
0.18 |
Very Good |
99 |
Motorization and Speciality Coverings.
We offer a full line of motorization and remote control options. Whether it’s for a boardroom, skylights, high windows, specialty shapes, exterior applications, we have access through our various partners and suppliers practical, cost effective solutions.
Noise and Sound Control
Sound can be intrusive and distracting in a work environment. We have products that can reduce the ‘noise pollution’ making work environments quieter and allowing for less distractions, more productivity.