(Image courtesy Burst)

When you think about saving energy at home, you probably think of things like turning down the thermostat, purchasing energy-efficient appliances, adding insulation, and upgrading your home. What about choosing Window Treatments for Energy Efficiency?

In fact, there are some simpler ways to save energy at home. One of these is opening and closing window blinds according to the time of day and the season. Another is to cover your windows with decorative drapes to prevent heat loss in winter. 

Window Treatments for Energy Efficiency may actually save you up to hundreds — or thousands — of dollars over time. 

According to the U.S Department of Energy, efficient window treatments are a smart way to save energy and avoid expenses. “In heating seasons, tightly installed cellular shades can reduce heat loss through windows by 40% or more, which equates to about 10% heating energy savings. In cooling seasons, cellular shades can reduce unwanted solar heat through windows by up to 60%, reducing the total solar gain to 20% when installed with a tight fit.”

Here are a few window treatment ideas to help control the temperature of your home while allowing fresh air and light in and saving energy at the same time! 

The Best Window Treatments for Energy Efficiency

Blinds

Installing blinds on windows — and actually remembering to lower or close them during the sunniest parts of the day — is a strong step toward lowering your home’s energy bills. They can effectively block the heat before it comes through your windows and warms your room. 

Blinds are most efficient on the south and west-facing windows but are actually helpful throughout your home. 

Shades

Window shades also protect from light glare and help save money on your energy bill, protecting from UV rays and helping to keep your interiors beautiful. 

Some shades have multiple layers of fabric, or they come in a honeycomb pattern, that traps air around your windows, keeping your rooms warm in the winter and cool in the summer. For those that have a dark color on one side and a lighter color on the other, consider reversing the shades based on the season so that the dark color can absorb the heat during the winter, while the light color can reflect the sun’s heat in the summer.

Drapes & Curtains

Window treatments like drapes and curtains aren’t just for decoration. When you chose a heavier fabric, they work to help insulate your home, preventing heat loss in the winter and solar heat gain in the summer. And depending on the style you choose, they can do this down the entire length of the window to the floor! 

Window Film

A more unusual option, but one that is gaining traction in modern homes is high-reflective window film. Like transparent films that can be used to help insulate windows by providing an invisible thermal shield that traps heat inside your home or keeps chilly air from entering through your windows, reflective film bounces off heat from the sun, and can also act as a radiator. 

Window films are often used on homes in places that have short or mild winters, but they also work well on garages, attics, or other windows that arena unusual size or where it may be hard to fit shades, blinds, or drapes. 

Awnings

Even before air conditioning was invented buildings used awnings to keep out summer sunlight. Modern awnings — either stationary, retractable, or adjustable — are an easy way to lessen the need for a cooling system, helping to reduce energy costs in the summer.

LIST WITH ELIZABETH® knows that homeowners in the Springfield, Burke, and Fairfax area usually think about dressing their windows mainly for décor, but if choosing the right treatment can also make you and your family more comfortable, your home more energy-efficient, and save you money, that’s an all-around win! So consider these window treatments to help control the temperature of your home while enjoying views of the outside and likely saving you money.