Awnings
are a smart move to trim summer cooling costs
12:00 AM CDT
on Saturday, April 11, 2009
Even in the midst of economic turbulence, it still is important to
continue to invest in your home as an asset. Now more than ever,
home improvements should go beyond just adding aesthetics and
provide return on investment.
One home improvement that provides return on investment in any
climate – hot or cold, economically good or bad – is awnings.
Awnings, both aesthetically appealing and functional, can provide
savings on home cooling costs by reducing heat gain, and therefore
the load on air conditioners. In most homes, more cooling energy is
lost through glass doors and windows than any other part of the
house. No one wants to see their dollars flying out the window in
the form of energy costs.
When added above a window or door, an awning reduces the amount of
heat that enters a home by blocking the sun's rays from penetrating
the glass. Keeping excess heat out reduces the load on the air
conditioner, enabling the unit to cool the space and maintain a
constant temperature more efficiently.
"Awnings over a patio or deck can in essence create a cost-effective
additional room in one's home," says Michelle Sahlin, managing
director of the Professional Awning Manufacturer's Association (PAMA).
"The combination of contributing to the house's character while
conserving energy makes awnings an outstanding home improvement."
An energy study conducted by the Center for Sustainable Building
Research at the University of Minnesota revealed the impact of
awnings in residential buildings. According to the study, awnings
can reduce annual cooling energy by as much as 16 percent in hot
climates, such as Houston, and as much as 14 percent in moderate
climates, such as Washington, D.C., compared to homes with
completely unshaded windows. The amount of cooling energy saved
varies depending on the number of windows, type of glass in the
windows, window orientation and the climate the house is in. The
homes that receive the greatest energy-savings benefits from awnings
have mostly west-facing windows.
Homeowners who already have installed awnings are noticing the
difference and are wanting more.
"A longtime customer of ours had four awnings and was thinking of
adding nine more awnings, but needed to convince her husband," says
Ann Hunzinger, co-owner of Evanston Awning Co. in Evanston, Ill.
"She just needed to do a bit of math to see how her home's cooling
costs would be reduced, and was able to convince her husband in no
time that they would easily be able to recoup the cost of the
awnings."
Beyond the return on investment, awnings have simply served as an
effective substitute for central air conditioning for some
homeowners. Sahlin decided to install awnings instead of central air
conditioning in her century-old home to keep cool.
"Installing central air conditioning would have required knocking
holes in the walls and disrupting the house layout," says Sahlin.
"By adding awnings, I was able to keep my house cool and intact
while adding color and beauty to the exterior."
Awnings can provide benefits to people living without air
conditioning by reducing inside temperatures by as much as 8 to 15
degrees. A well-placed awning can add thousands of dollars to the
price of a home, especially in smaller homes where square footage is
at a premium – and is less expensive than putting on an entire
sunroom.
– Metro Creative Connection
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