Saving Your Hard-Earned Energy Dollars

Rising energy costs are affecting everyone's pocketbook. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, sunny windows make air conditioners work two to three times harder. In colder seasons, heat lost through windows can account for 10 to 25% of your heating bill.

Liza Bowles, President of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center, stresses the importance of window coverings. "Especially with the larger windows so prevalent today, shades and blinds are necessary to add energy efficiency to a home," said Bowles. "And, during the summer months, keep them fully closed on south and west-facing windows to prevent heat gain."

When it comes to energy-efficient window fashions, Hunter Douglas has the answer. In fact, in 1985 the company created the first highly energy-efficient window coverings — soft, durable Duette® honeycomb shades. Since then, the product has spurred an entirely new category of window coverings and the many fabric, color, style and hardware options available in Duette Honeycomb Shades just keeps expanding.

Wendell Colson, Hunter Douglas Vice President of Product Development, first developed the concept for Duette Honeycomb Shades during the energy crisis of the late 70s as a young architect and inventor in Massachusetts renovating big, drafty Victorians. "One night as I was shivering in bed, a double curtain came together in a regular folding pattern, capturing air between those folds in a honeycomb-like configuration," said Colson. "I saw this vertically, but I thought if we put it together horizontally you would have a highly energy-efficient treatment because air would literally be trapped in the honeycomb cells." Today, Duette Honeycomb Shades are even available in triple layers of honeycombs. These Duette triple honeycomb shades are the most energy-efficient honeycomb product on the market today.

Keep Cool in Summer
Summer shading coefficients measure a window treatment's ability to protect against solar heat passing through the window into the home. During the hottest months of the year, it has been estimated that 53% of all heat entering a home comes in through the windows. A window treatment with a low summer shading coefficient is most effective in shading against heat gain, reflecting heat and shading the interior. The percentage of heat reduction is calculated, subtracted from 100, and turned into a decimal. For example, if a window treatment reduces heat gain by 80 to 95%, this translates into a shading coefficient of .20 to .05. Duette triple honeycomb shades boast a low .24 shading coefficient and Duette Honeycomb Shades in an opaque fabric with a metallized core have a coefficient of .23.

Where direct sunlight is a problem, the best materials will be metallized or white backings that can reflect the greatest amount of sunshine, while still shading the interior. Known for their myriad fabrics and textures, some Brilliance® Pleated Shades also can be highly energy-efficient window treatments because they offer a thin layer of aluminum permanently bonded to the rear of the face fabric. Many Hunter Douglas products, including Duette Honeycomb Shades and soft, billowy Vignette® Modern Roman Shades, have neutral white energy-efficient fabric backings.

Warming Up for Winter
"Forty percent of the heat in a home escapes through the windows on average, and windows are typically 20 percent of wall space," said Colson. "So energy dollars are literally pouring out the window." Window coverings with a high R-value can provide much needed insulation and significantly reduce heat loss. The "R-value" (resistance value) measures a product's resistance to heat loss when in a closed (lowered) position. The higher the R-value, the more insulation a window product provides. A single layer of uncovered window glass has a winter R-value of about 0.88, while a double-glazed window has a value of about 1.75. By selecting an energy-efficient window treatment, you can help increase the R-value one to five points.

Wood and vinyl are insulating materials and fabric shades with metallized or room-darkening linings are also good insulators. But, again, honeycomb fabric shades, which "trap" air in the honeycomb cells, provide the best insulation. Super energy-efficient Duette triple-honeycomb shades afford a winter R-value of 4.8 on double-glazed windows.

There's More to the Story
In addition to saving hard-earned energy dollars, Hunter Douglas window coverings can also save on having to replace fabrics, carpets and other fine furnishings and preserve precious heirlooms for posterity. Ultraviolet light is often called "the invisible enemy" as it is the invisible component of the sun's radiation and can be extremely damaging. Ultraviolet literally means "beyond the violet" in the visible spectrum of light. It enters the house as sunlight but will eventually fade floors, furniture, upholstery and drapery fabrics, carpeting and valuable artwork. With prolonged sun exposure, natural, undyed fabrics typically become yellowed. Later, fibers will weaken, making furnishings look old and worn before their time.