San Antonio Solar Shades: Maximizing Their Use

Solar shades are a great addition to any San Antonio home. They allow you to block heat while still enjoying the view. The best part about solar shades, however, is that they help save energy, which in turn saves money.

If you want to take full advantage of your solar shades, there are some things you can do. Here are seven things you can do to help increase the impact your solar shades have on your energy savings.

How to get the Most out of Solar Shades in San Antonio

1. Use the solar shade during the hottest part of the day
2. Put solar shades on windows that get the most sun
3. Be strategic with your solar shade use
4. Use insulated solar shades
5. Use automated solar shades
6. Use window films or low-e-windows with your solar shades
7. Use solar panels with your solar shades

Use the Solar Shades During the Hottest Part of the Day

Natural lighting is beautiful. However, an energy bill is attached to it. Windows are a huge energy consumer. When sunlight comes through a window 75 percent of that light turns into heat.

Often people don’t think about the sun heating up their home while they are trying to cool it.  One of the easiest ways to increase the energy efficiency of your solar shades is to use them.

The hottest part of the day depends on where you live. However, during the summer between 3 and 4:30 p.m. is the hottest part. Using solar shades during these times will increase energy savings.

Put Solar Shades on Windows Getting the Most Sun

If you are low on cash, but still would like solar shades, you can place them in the parts of your home getting the most sun. There are two major factors that determine which windows get the most sun. these include the direction the window faces and where you live.

If you live in a rainy climate, you aren’t going to get nearly as much sunlight as those who live in the desert. However, you can pretty much count on the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. Making sure that at least your east and west windows have solar shades will ensure most of the heat doesn’t get in.

Be Strategic with Solar Shade Use

When you use solar shades you can also be strategic about when they are open or closed. Opening solar shades when the sun isn’t shining directly through the window is an energy conserving way to increase natural lighting.

Another way to increase energy savings is to close your east-facing solar shades over the windows in the morning. Although it isn’t the hottest part of the day, the sunshine still turns into heat.

Use a More Insulated Solar Shade in Your San Antonio Home

Solar shades can be used to both decrease heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. However, this can be maximized if you choose a better insulated solar shade.

Most solar shades and screens have different openness factors. The openness factor is how much light the shade blocks.

If you have an openness factor of 90 percent, most of the light will be blocked. It will be harder to see through, but you will still be able to see outside the window through the shade.

You don’t need low openness factor solar shades all over your home to make a difference. In fact, you only really need to decrease the openness factor on your west-facing windows. This is because these are the windows that receive the most light throughout the year.

Use an Automated Solar Shade in Your Texas Home

If you want to conserve energy, but don’t have the time or energy to open and close your solar shades, there is a solution. There are automated solar shades on the market. There are also some automated solar shades that can be programmed to open and close at a specific time of day.

Use Window Films or Low-e-windows

In the winter months, about 30 percent of your home’s heat is lost through windows. This is reduced with the use of solar shades. However, it can be enhanced. Both low-e-windows and window film are great solar shade enhancers.

Low-e-windows are coated in metallic oxides which helps filter out certain UV rays. They also help keep radiant heat from entering through the window—nothing gets in or out.

If this isn’t in the budget for you right now, window film is a good economical solution. This is a reflective film normally put on the inside of the glass to increase the longevity of the film. This film also decreases UV penetration, which in turn maximizes energy savings.

Use Solar Panels With Your San Antonio Solar Shades

Solar is one of the best ways to increase the energy savings of your solar shades. This is because solar panels generate the energy you are using.

Since solar drastically reduces your electric bill, you end up saving money over the life of the solar array. However, when you combine solar panels with solar shades and other solar plus items, you won’t use as much energy.

This means that you can save more energy for use when the sun isn’t out. This excess energy can either be given back to you in the form of a credit from your Texas electric companyor stored in a solar battery.