South Florida can be a real challenge for air conditioners. Homeowners often search for the most effective solution to cooling their house. The less the air conditioner is used, the more money the homeowner saves. But aside from sweating profusely in the kitchen, what is the best way to keep the air conditioner off?
Interior Solutions
Insulation doesn’t really do a lot to keep heat out. An insulated attic is still hot in the summer. So windows are best area to focus on when trying to keep a house cool. Dual-pane glass can make a huge difference in temperature control, but most modern houses already have them. Ceiling fans look nice, but if the room is hot, the fan is just circulating hot air.
Usually, the quieter a ceiling fan is correlates with its price in the store. According to Florida Power & Light, turning off a ceiling when leaving a room can save $3 to $7 a month. Comparing the savings to running the AC less could reveal the whole effort is pointless.
Interior window treatments look nice and help keep the sun out, but also prevent homeowners from seeing outside, which is kind of the point of a window. Window films can be tacky looking and a magnet for air bubbles. They might even decrease home resale value.
Exterior Solutions
Although shutters can be a good way to keep direct sunlight out of the house, they can be very expensive. Decorative shutters can be so expensive as to negate any energy cost savings. It’s like buying a solar water heater. It could take years just to break even.
Homeowners often think decorative shutters will protect their windows during a hurricane. The reality is storm windows would be much more effective.
To help keep a house cool and prevent direct sunlight from entering, canvas awnings are a viable and less expensive solution. The U.S. Department of Energy says awnings can reduce solar heat gain by more the 50 percent.
Nowadays, canvas awnings are made of acrylic, which can be dyed a huge variety of colors and will last for years. Awnings cost far less than decorative shutters and can easily be replaced after years of use.
A homeowner can lower energy bills, have attractive exterior window treatments and quickly recover the cost of awnings. One company in Miami, Best Awnings, offers a genuine variety of high quality canvas awnings. For those looking to lower home energy costs and even increase home resale value, awnings are a great option.
