Here in Nevada, summers can bring extremely high temperatures. Cooling our homes and businesses can become quite costly. We have several options to help with the cost. Solar panels can offset the electricity bill. We have over 50 panels on our home, and it helps quite a bit! Another option is paying a flat fee each month for your power bill. Sign up with NV Energy or equal pay at nvenergy.com. The third way to save on energy is to place window coverings, tinting, or solar shades. These can reduce your bill by 30%. One company we recommend using is Solar Screen City, at solarscreencity.com. They provide great service and beautiful shades! If you do place solar screens or tinting, please call me to get your windows cleaned beforehand!
Here’s an article from Energy and Buildings with more information on Solar Screens.
Energy and Buildings
Volume 52, September 2012, Pages 1-10
External perforated window Solar Screens: The effect of screen depth and perforation ratio on energy performance in extreme desert environments
Author links open overlay panelA.SherifaA.El-Zafaranyb1R.Arafaa1Show moreAdd to MendeleyShareCite
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2012.05.025Get rights and content
Abstract
In hot arid desert environments, the solar radiation passing through windows increases the cooling loads and the energy consumption of buildings. Shading of windows can reduce these loads. Unlike the woven solar screens, wooden solar screens have a thickness that provides selective shading properties. Perforated wooden solar screens were traditionally used for windows shading. Developing modern types of these shading systems can lead to significant energy savings.
The paper addresses the influence of changing the perforation percentage and depth of these screens on the annual energy loads, hence defining the optimum depth/perforation configurations for various window orientations. Series of experiments were performed using the EnergyPlus simulation software for a typical residential building in the Kharga Oasis, located in the Egyptian desert. A range of perforation percentages and depths were tested.
Conclusions prove that external fixed deep perforated solar screens could effectively achieve energy savings up to 30% of the total energy consumption in the West and South orientations. Optimum range of depths and perforation percentages were recommended. These are: 80–90% perforation rate and 1:1 depth/opening width ratio. These lighter and deeper solar screen configurations were found to be more efficient in energy consumption in comparison with the traditional ones.
Highlights
► Solar Screens achieved energy savings up to 30% in the west and south orientations. ► Recommended screens are of 80–90% perforation rate and 1:1 depth/perforation ratio. ► Solar Screens near optimum range extended from 0.75 to 1.25 depth ratio. ► Energy savings were barely significant in the North orientation. ► Screen depth was found to be an important factor that affects energy savings.