Window Coverings May Reduce Heating Energy Up To 24% Said DOE Experts

Mar, 2023 - By WMR

Window coverings with cellular or honeycomb structures offer greater energy savings throughout the winter, potentially saving millions of tons of carbon emissions.

Window coverings with cellular or honeycomb constructions provide better energy savings during the winter compared to conventional venetian blinds, potentially saving million tons of carbon emissions. A room with cellular shades can reduce heating costs by up to 24%, according to a study that examined the effectiveness of various cellular shades and venetian blinds over the length of two heating seasons. Also, assuming a 20% adoption rate, cellular shades could cut carbon emissions in residential buildings by up to 3 million tons.

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have shown that window coverings with a cellular or honeycomb structure can reduce carbon emissions by millions of tonnes and save more energy during the winter than standard venetian blinds.

Cellular blinds with a honeycomb structure significantly reduce energy use during the winter and may even help to cut carbon emissions, according to study from Oak Ridge National Laboratory that examined how well they performed in a two-story house in the Southeast. Credit: US Department of Energy and ORNL

Windows increase the need for energy in residential buildings due to letting heat escape; covers can enhance insulation. Inside a study, researchers analyzed vertical venetian blinds' efficacy with that of 3 single-cell as well as two cell-in-cell cellular blinds. In a home in the Southeast of the United States, the blinds were installed over window for two adjacent, similar 2nd rooms from December to March for two heating seasons.

According to ORNL's Mahabir Bhandari, "the room with the cellular blinds achieved up to 24% heating energy savings. Further energy calculations forecasted the performance of the shades in various climate zones. If cellular shades are used in residential buildings at a 20% penetration rate, national carbon emissions might be decreased by up to 3 million tonnes.