Design with Awnings - Functional and Cool Solutions for Landscape Pros

Proven sustainability

Awnings can reduce a home's internal temperature by 8° to 15° F (5°C - 8°C)

Solar radiation through glass is responsible for approximately 20% of the load on a residential air conditioner.

On a hot day, more energy is lost through one square foot of glass than through an entire insulated wall.

A fabric awning reduced heat gain by 55% to 65% during the period of the day when the sun shines directly on southern facing windows, and 72% to 77% for western exposures.

For more background information about the benefits of exterior shading on homes, visit the University of Florida IFAS Extension Web site.

Awnings & Energy - the Facts

The Science of Awnings - See the energy advantages of residential awnings including an interview with John Carmody, Director of a recent University of MN study funded by PAMA: "Awnings in Residential Buildings, The Impact on Energy Use and Peak Demand"

Access the complete study*

Homeowner Energy Benefits

• Save money through reduced cooling bills

• Increase comfort by reducing home's internal temperature - up to 15° F.

• Reduce the home’s carbon footprint

• Potentially reduce size of and mechanical wear on the home AC unit

Community Energy Benefits

• Reduce peak demand in your town

• Relieve stress on the power grid

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Community Energy Benefits

American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE),
Keeping Cool & Saving Money - Get insight from authoritative heating and cooling engineers.

U.S. Department of Energy, Consumer's Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Window awnings reduce solar heat gain by 65% to 77%. - Get energy saving tips from the U.S. Government

Google.org - get information on home energy conservation and the Power Grid (power usage) nation-wide*

Calculate Energy Savings

You can easily calculate how much can be saved by adding awnings to a home. These tools will help determine how much a homeowner spends on air conditioning and cooling energy. This data combined with the known savings awnings can provide will help a homeowner visualize the results that can be attained through the addition of awnings as a shade solution.

HOME ENERGY SAVER - a web-based do-it-yourself energy audit tool developed by the Environmental Energy Technologies Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Estimate Your Cooling Hours Calculator - Energy Services Tools from the Washington State University Energy Program under contract with the Western Area Power Administration

Building Energy Software Tools Directory: The EERE provides information for professionals to help calculate awning shade benefits.