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>Awnings also face competition from interior curtains and blinds, which are much simpler to maintain. But not significant competition. If the blinds are very r

>Awnings also face competition from interior curtains and blinds, which are much simpler to maintain. But not significant competition. If the blinds are very reflective a small amount of sunlight might end up going out again but in general, once the solar radiation converts to heat you can't get it back out through the window. That is particularly true for modern multi-pane windows.

ygra 2y ago
That's why shutters (roller or hinged) exist that are on the outside of the windows. Here in Southern Germany pretty much every window has them and since they block the sun outside the window, it can help a lot not getting the interior too warm.
- Retric 2y ago
  External shudders don’t help when it’s 100+f at night and they are just as hot as the surroundings. This is why they’re common in Europe but not tropical countries.
  - potatoz2 2y ago
    Of course they help in those climates too. It's better if it's 100F inside than 120F, which is what you'll get if you let the sun in with no shade-making device. You'll find ways to get shade in every hot climate, whether arid or humid and no matter what the night temperatures are.
  - neuralRiot 2y ago
    On the contrary, external shutters that are also blinds or bamboo shutters are very common in tropical climates as they allow air circulation while stopping sunlight.
- TremendousJudge 2y ago
  I have roller shutters, I like them, they're common where I live. However, they are not great for keeping heat out during the day; yeah if you close them you get protected from the heat of the sun, but also from its light. An awning will let the ambient daylight through and not turn your room into a cave
Retric 2y ago
Awnings fail to deal with heat gain from the surrounding. So, in hot environments they can be less effective than insulating curtains inside the window which also help at night when it’s still 100+f outside. This is especially true if you have an overhang, trees, etc providing even modest shade.
- sickofparadox 2y ago
  They would compliment each other because the purpose of the awning is to prevent the heat of the sun from entering the house. Once it's in, even if there are insulating curtains, the heat is still in the house.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - Retric 2y ago
    It’s worth speaking in terms of energy not just heat. Sunlight bouncing off a reflective curtain and going outside is one of their benefits. An awning is a net benefit over a curtain alone, but there’s overlap in functionality so having a curtain reduces the net saving from adding an awning.
    - potatoz2 2y ago
      Curtains work poorly at keeping heat out, in large part because the temperature differential can be extreme if you let sunlight hit the curtain (that and air convection behind the curtain). The alternative to awnings are shutters or, like you said, plants, but not curtains.
      - Retric 2y ago
        You can see curtains because photons are escaping out of the window. A white curtain reflects more sunlight outside than your room would. Similarly, a hot curtain really does emit more infrared radiation outside than your air conditioned room would. It’s not even just radiation, warming the window itself causes it to reject more heat via conduction and convection with outside air. Not all curtains are equally effective, but in full sun we can be talking a 30+ degree temperature difference between the room and a good curtain. Shutters can effectively block sunlight, but they also emit IR radiation 24 hours a day based on their temperature. If it’s hot outside, thick reflective curtains really can save more energy across a given day than shutters though they also work better together at some point you might as wall just seal up the window.
DavidVoid 2y ago
Where I live (Stockholm), blinds are usually between the outermost glass pane and the inner two panes (triple glazed windows). It keeps the heat out pretty well (and prevents cats from messing with the blinds).

ygra 2y ago

That's why shutters (roller or hinged) exist that are on the outside of the windows. Here in Southern Germany pretty much every window has them and since they block the sun outside the window, it can help a lot not getting the interior too warm.

Retric 2y ago
External shudders don’t help when it’s 100+f at night and they are just as hot as the surroundings. This is why they’re common in Europe but not tropical countries.
- potatoz2 2y ago
  Of course they help in those climates too. It's better if it's 100F inside than 120F, which is what you'll get if you let the sun in with no shade-making device. You'll find ways to get shade in every hot climate, whether arid or humid and no matter what the night temperatures are.
- neuralRiot 2y ago
  On the contrary, external shutters that are also blinds or bamboo shutters are very common in tropical climates as they allow air circulation while stopping sunlight.
TremendousJudge 2y ago
I have roller shutters, I like them, they're common where I live. However, they are not great for keeping heat out during the day; yeah if you close them you get protected from the heat of the sun, but also from its light. An awning will let the ambient daylight through and not turn your room into a cave

Retric 2y ago

Awnings fail to deal with heat gain from the surrounding. So, in hot environments they can be less effective than insulating curtains inside the window which also help at night when it’s still 100+f outside. This is especially true if you have an overhang, trees, etc providing even modest shade.

sickofparadox 2y ago
They would compliment each other because the purpose of the awning is to prevent the heat of the sun from entering the house. Once it's in, even if there are insulating curtains, the heat is still in the house.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- Retric 2y ago
  It’s worth speaking in terms of energy not just heat. Sunlight bouncing off a reflective curtain and going outside is one of their benefits. An awning is a net benefit over a curtain alone, but there’s overlap in functionality so having a curtain reduces the net saving from adding an awning.
  - potatoz2 2y ago
    Curtains work poorly at keeping heat out, in large part because the temperature differential can be extreme if you let sunlight hit the curtain (that and air convection behind the curtain). The alternative to awnings are shutters or, like you said, plants, but not curtains.
    - Retric 2y ago
      You can see curtains because photons are escaping out of the window. A white curtain reflects more sunlight outside than your room would. Similarly, a hot curtain really does emit more infrared radiation outside than your air conditioned room would. It’s not even just radiation, warming the window itself causes it to reject more heat via conduction and convection with outside air. Not all curtains are equally effective, but in full sun we can be talking a 30+ degree temperature difference between the room and a good curtain. Shutters can effectively block sunlight, but they also emit IR radiation 24 hours a day based on their temperature. If it’s hot outside, thick reflective curtains really can save more energy across a given day than shutters though they also work better together at some point you might as wall just seal up the window.

DavidVoid 2y ago

Where I live (Stockholm), blinds are usually between the outermost glass pane and the inner two panes (triple glazed windows). It keeps the heat out pretty well (and prevents cats from messing with the blinds).