Keep cool while minimising your home cooling bill this summer

With bushfires reaching catastrophic levels, the Australian summer of 2019/2020 is an absolute scorcher! Did you know most of your home’s energy is lost through windows? Research reveals up to 40% of temperature lost and 87% of heat gained in your home occurs through uncovered windows¹. Window furnishings, blinds, and shutters can offer a sustainable solution to keep your home cool this summer, without increasing your electricity bills.

“Insulation is key to maintaining room temperatures, and a few small changes can help make your home energy efficient and keep the bills down,” said Vera Meharg, Marketing Communications Manager, Luxaflex Window Fashions.

“During the day, your windows let in more radiant energy than gets out. Sunlight enters through the glass, but as the window is unable to let infrared radiation escape, your home will get warmer and warmer. Stopping the heat of the sun from entering your home in the first place, is much better than letting it in and cooling it down afterwards.”

Keeping the Heat Out

Actions as simple as closing window coverings first thing in the morning will prevent the heat of the day from entering, and help retain the coolest temperatures from overnight. Quality sunscreen fabrics will reflect heat and UV rays, drastically helping to reduce a room’s heat gain as well as protect furniture from sun damage or fading. It is also advisable to purchase window coverings that have insulating properties for extra heat defense.

Luxaflex® Duette® Shades are recognised as one of the most energy efficient window coverings on the market, featuring a honeycomb ‘cell’ structure which traps air and acts as an insulation barrier for windows.

Additionally, the Luxaflex® Duette® Architella® range features a unique honeycomb-within-a-honeycomb cell construction which creates four fabric layers and three insulating pockets of air. These distinct air pockets have the ability to reduce the heat transfer through a window and reduce the average home’s heating costs by up to 43 percent in the winter months².

Maximise Outdoor Shade

“External shading reduces heat transfer through windows by up to 90 per cent³ and a whopping 87 per cent of a home’s heat gain in summer occurs through windows,” said Meharg.

“Maximising living spaces with a seamless indoor-outdoor transition is a key trend right now. Outdoor awnings offer an extension of your living space as well as advanced sun protection and airflow for a more enjoyable entertaining space. It also provides the added benefit of helping maintain your home’s internal temperature.”

The Australian designed Luxaflex® Evo Awnings range represents the latest in design and functionality. Six models are available in a selection of beautiful fabrics and smooth operating systems to suit any house style. They are specifically designed for harsh UV and demanding Australian weather conditions and offer the perfect balance between style and strength. Ideal for those looking to improve their home’s sustainability and energy consumption, the Luxaflex Evo MagnaTrack Awning with Luxaflex Spectra Fibreglass Sunscreen fabric, can help eliminate up to 95% of solar heat⁴, bringing you long-term energy savings and helping you feel comfortable all year round.

Automate your Home

As technology advances, we are fortunate enough to have the luxury to incorporate home automisation into our lifestyle using such artificial intelligence as Luxaflex® PowerView® Motorisation. Compatible with Apple HomeKit®, Google® Assistant and Amazon® Alexa®, Luxaflex PowerView Motorisation is a great aid for this time of year, offering the ability to program your blinds to operate on their own throughout the day. Create scenes with pre-programmed blind positions, such as raising to let the light in at dawn, helping you to wake up, or closing whilst you’re at work, keeping the heat out throughout hot summer days. Customise your scenes to suit your lifestyle and daily schedule, and enjoy seamless, whole-home integration including voice control and smart phone control.

Meharg from Luxflex says: “Partnering such products as the Luxaflex® Duette® Architella® Shades with Powerview® Motorisation can see homeowners take a strategic approach to cost-saving, controlling their blinds to function depending on the time of day and the strength of the sun to encourage energy efficiency, keeping costs down and your house cool.”

When it comes to external coverings, the larger the awning, the more likely it is that you will want to invest in motorisation for ease and functionality.

“By scheduling your awnings to lower as you leave for work in the morning, you can actively help maintain a cool indoor temperature in your home. This simple action will help reflect heat and UV rays to drastically reduce a room’s heat gain, as well as help protect furniture from sun damage and fading.”

For further information, visit www.luxaflex.com.au