Back To The Basics

When was the last time you Googled Hunter Douglas? We can Google anything that has to do with solar energy forums and facts and solar panels and solar energy plants, and come up with a ton of great information and ideas.  But how much time do we spend going back to the basics.  Back to the beginning and consider some of the original tips on keeping our usage of electric to a minimum.  We may have never heard of a carbon foot print back then, but that is exactly what we were looking at here. 

Thinking along those lines, I have been checking into some of the latest in home decor that is also great for our pocket book and the environment. 

Take a look at these window shades from Hunter Douglas.  We have all seen them.  But we may not all recognize what we are really seeing.

This is directly from the Hunter Douglas web site -

At Hunter Douglas, we're an industry leader in making a big energy savings difference at the window. In 1985, we invented the highly energy-efficient Duette®honeycomb shades in response to the energy crisis of the late 1970s. More recently, we've introduced Duette Architella^® honeycomb shades, which offer superior energy efficiency thanks to their patented honeycomb-within-a-honeycomb construction, and Vignette®Tiered Architella Shades, featuring rear fabric air pockets that trap air and create an extra layer of insulation.

 The Science Behind Our Products

Without energy-efficient window treatments, as much as 50% of a home's heating and cooling energy can be lost through its windows. All Hunter Douglas window fashions provide window insulation, offering your home increased protection against heat loss during the winter, as well as minimizing the sun's heat or "solar heat" during the summer. More specifically, here's how Hunter Douglas products help conserve energy at the window in these three significant ways:

Insulation -

Without energy-efficient window treatments, as much as 50% of a home's heating and cooling energy can be lost through its windows. All Hunter Douglas window fashions provide window insulation, offering your home increased protection against heat loss during the winter, as well as minimizing the sun's heat or "solar heat" during the summer.
It's a scientific fact that heat is attracted to cold. In winter months, indoor heating moves toward and escapes through windows to the outdoors, while in summertime, the outside heat flows into your home through these same windows. Many Hunter Douglas window fashions help insulate homes; helping reduce energy consumption, save on heating and cooling costs, and creating a more comfortable room setting.

It's a scientific fact that heat is attracted to cold. In winter months, indoor heating moves toward and escapes through windows to the outdoors, while in summertime, the outside heat flows into your home through these same windows. Many Hunter Douglas window fashions help insulate homes; helping reduce energy consumption, save on heating and cooling costs, and creating a more comfortable room setting.

Solar Heat Control 

 Without energy-efficient window treatments, as much as 50% of a home's heating and cooling energy can be lost through its windows. All Hunter Douglas window fashions provide window insulation, offering your home increased protection against heat loss during the winter, as well as minimizing the sun's heat or "solar heat" during the summer.
The warmth provided by the sun, its solar energy, may be desirable during the winter to help heat your home, yet it can make a room overly hot and uncomfortable while driving up air conditioning costs in the summer. Many Hunter Douglas products are designed to reduce the amount of solar heat that passes through the window, which is known as the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC). The lower the SHGC, the more protected your home is from the sun's heat. To enjoy the sun's warmth when desired, simply raise or open the window fashion and invite it in.

Daylighting 

Without energy-efficient window treatments, as much as 50% of a home's heating and cooling energy can be lost through its windows. All Hunter Douglas window fashions provide window insulation, offering your home increased protection against heat loss during the winter, as well as minimizing the sun's heat or "solar heat" during the summer.

Daylighting is the practice of lighting rooms with natural light rather than generating illumination from electricity. With Hunter Douglas window fashions, you can control how much natural light comes into your room. Our sheers and other select styles actually diffuse light as it enters and help to draw it deeper into the room. You can also direct incoming light where it's needed most by titling the louvers, slats, vanes, blinds and panels. By drawing natural light into a room many of our window treatments reduce your energy needs for other types of lighting.

So while working on your solar panels and your insulation, think about the benefits of the proper decor also.