How awnings can help you be more eco-friendly

In the last years, awareness towards protecting our planet for future generations has increased exponentially. From phasing out plastic straws and plastic shopping bags, enforcing recycling, and reducing waste, our society has never been more eco-friendly in its constant search for new methods to reduce its environmental footprint.

One of the methods that has gained a lot of popularity to reduce one’s energy consumption/ Unfortunately, according to Natural Resources Canada, “about 78% of GHG [Green House Gas] emissions from human activity are from the production and consumption of energy”. This means that any time you use energy to cool and heat your home, you’re releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere indirectly. But how can you heat or cool your home without using electricity? Awning owners will be happy to know that they are greatly contributing to protecting the environment! Below are the ways in which awnings can help you become more eco-friendly.

How do awnings help protect the environment?

There are a few ways in which awnings can help you be more eco-friendly. To summarize, awning can heat or cool your home without using any electricity. They can cool your home by reducing the amount of sunlight that enters through the windows. Conversely, by retracting an awning, you can heat your home by allowing the sunlight in.

How to maximize the eco-friendliness of your awning

There are many ways in which awnings can reduce your energy consumption. Placing an awning near a window will help, but to really maximize your awning’s ability to reduce your environmental footprint, consider the following:

Awning placement

In the summer, you should consider placing an awning over the windows that are hit with the most sunlight during the hottest hours of the day (usually 11am to 3pm). This will reduce the amount of sunlight that enters hour house, thereby reducing your AC usage.

Moreover, paved areas can absorb heat, especially those that have a darker colour. In fact, this absorption of heat is one of the main causes for the urban heat island effect! Therefore, adding an awning over your patio, or even your walkway/driveway can help you reduce AC usage.

Fabric

Fabric is another important element to consider when you plan on reducing your energy consumption with an awning. That’s because not all fabric will block the sun in the same way. When it comes to blocking sunlight, thicker materials are usually better. Moreover, it’s important to consider the colour of the fabric as well. Evidently, lighter colours will reflect the most sunlight, and darker fabrics will absorb sunlight. Moreover, different materials can contribute to ventilation, so that any trapped heat can escape. An important thing to remember is that the manner in which you take care of your awning will affect its longevity as well as its efficiency.

Retractable/Winterized awnings

In the summertime, an awning can help you cut down on energy consumption by naturally cooling the interior of your home. However, during the colder months, you likely won’t require any cooling. That being said, awnings can also help you warm up the interior of your home if you decide to retract or winterize them. It’s easy to control indoor temperatures and energy costs with awnings! Simply retract or extend your retractable awning, or ask you trusty awning company to winterize your stationary awning when the weather begins to cool, and to reinstall it again come springtime.