DrapeStyle asked:


Saving Energy with DrapeStyle:

 

At DrapeStyle we consider ourselves \”Green\”. We love the planet, we love the environment and we love labrador puppies. We\’d like to see them all flourish for generations to come. Now, what we would really love is to be \”Green\” and maybe save a couple of dollars in the process, that would be worth a bushel full of labrador puppies.

 

So, the money thing. Can you believe that according to the US Department of Energy, 25% of your energy expense leaks out of your windows. 25%. That\’s more than I thought too. So if my average utility bill runs $250/Month or $3000/year of which $750 is wasted through your windows.

 

DrapeStyle to the rescue! You knew this was coming right? Well, we have the data, so let\’s share it with you. The University of Texas at Austin, (we Love those Longhorns), did an energy study. They called it \”The Drape Defense\”. See why we love those Longhorns! In this study they found, and published, that a well insulated drape can reduce the heat loss of a single glazed window by up to 56%.

 

I\’m sure you knew this instinctively, but now when the Hubs comes home and you\’ve got your new DrapeStyle covering your windows you can just tell him that your saving energy by the gobs!

 

Love it.

 

Here are the references so you don\’t think we\’re making this stuff up.

 

University of Texas Study:

 

US Dept. of Energy:

 

DrapeStyle is a leading manufacturer and retailer of custom made drapery and window treatments serving commercial and residential Customers in the US and Canada.  DrapeStyle has been reviewed by many leading publications including Veranda Magazine, House and Garden Magazine who called DrapeStyle \”Beautifully Made to Order\” and the San Francisco Chronicle who called DrapeStyle \”Hot Stuff\”.



Bill

David Andersen asked:


The first thing most people do when the weather gets nicer is to turn on the a/c. But how do you balance comfort and energy saving? Here’s a few ways to save energy and keep cool this summer.

Use fans. Energy efficient fans circulate cool air, whether it is from an air conditioner or not. Ceiling fans craw cooler air from the floor and raise it up, effectively mixing it with the warmer air that accumulates near the ceiling.

Keep the lights off. Lights, especially incandescent ones, generate a lot of heat. Keeping unneeded lights off throughout the day minimizes heat gain and lessens the possibility of heat transfer. Using CFLs in place of incandescent bulbs helps lessen the heating burden.

Avoid using computers, TVs, ovens, dishwashers, etc, during the warm parts of the day. When the weather is warm outside, using heat generating appliances indoors makes no sense. It makes sense then to not use these appliances when the weather is warmest. Here’s a computer tip, though: if you must use a computer opt for a laptop. Not only are they more energy efficient – they give off much less heat than a traditional computer tower/monitor combo.

If you have room a/c, keep the doors to the cooled rooms closed. And draw the curtains in the room. This minimizes heat loss and transfer. Heavy curtains insulated better than sheers.

If you are in a room for an extended period of time, the air conditioner will run longer. This is due to your body heat. So, if there are more than a couple of people in a room that is actively cooled, you will notice a difference in your a/c patterns and air temperature. Therefore, turn fans on proactively if you know there will be many people in the room and allow the warm air to “escape.”

Shield your a/c unit from the direct sun, if possible, but don’t block the exhaust vents or condensor/exchange coils.

Use the “fan only” setting on the air conditioner when possible. Or if your air conditioner has it, use the “Energy Saving” setting over the “cool” setting.

Some homes are lucky enough to have awnings or outer shades. Use them to shield your windows from the direct sun to avoid solar radiation.

Another option is to open the windows on the shady side of the house when the air conditioning is off. Doing this helps cooler air to circulate into your home. If possible, turn on the ceiling fan in the room that has the windows open. This will draw air from the window and circulate it.



stopglobalwarmingtogether.com

Michael asked:


Most of us may thing that windows are just practical object used for letting the lights in. Well, there is more reason why we should go with them; they are also responsible for calculating the way energy moves through your home. It further defines the design of a house and keeps it correctly ventilated. Replacing your old windows can be easier than you think and can be the most apparent kinds of saving energy. Single old glass windows are ordinary and common in house. Having a single glass window is just like having absorbent valve. Air is continually evading your home. Replacing windows could offer your house a stimulating fresh look along with saving energy and money for future.

Many aspects of a window must be measured before getting and installing them. Get into the new trend of double glass window. Double replacement windows would save you great bucks on the heating and cooling bills. They considerably decrease heat loss during winter and can extremely reduce heat gain in the time of summer. It is recommended that a double glass window be enclosed with an unusual low emissivity coating. Where to make use this coating usually relies up on your geographic site. Getting in touch with some of the window contractor personally could be great to perform such task.

 

Cover for Windows are important

Do not forget about how significant it is to cover your windows. Multiple layers of cover on your replacement windows could protect your home and maintain heat inside. Anyhow, new skills have come up and people are now concentrating not only on the cover, but as well on the width of airspace among the windows. Thicker space makes superior wadding. On the other hand, too much space is a ravage in addition. Anything beyond 1″ would have no result on your energy saving act.

When speaking about energy saving you must also check out multiple paned windows, which could be packed with argon and krypton gas to lessen heat loses and augments R-values. The high the R-value (fight to heat loss) the superior padding you would have. The U-Value is an additional significant thing to think when replacing old vinyl windows. The U-Value is a measurement to calculate heat transfer. The lesser the U-Value is the less heat transfers would be. With less U-value window replacements, running the homes heat loss and gain would turn extremely easy. Ensure when evaluating fresh windows that you are scrutiny U and R values measured for the total window. Some replacement windows produced provide morals for the middle of the glass.

Before buy vinyl replacement windows, pay cautious attention to your environmental location. Different windows are compatible for dissimilar climates. Cold climate windows are as well intended to maintain heat standards. It is significant to think the U-value on winter season windows. U-value is a gauge of windows wadding aptitude. The lesser the U-value is, the improved the insulation ability would be. So choose carefully as replacement window is directly related to getting charm to your house.



Dayak