How To Prevent Heat Gain And Save On Cooling Costs
Air conditioning is a reactionary cooling system. In other words, it does not kick in until your home is already hot. If you want to save money on your cooling cost, then you need to instill your home with preemptive strike capabilities. In other words, you need to have the ability to prevent your home from getting hot in the first. There are many things that you can do to improve your home's insulation envelope, but a good place to start is by upgrading your roofing and windows.
Energy-Efficient Roofing
When looking for energy-efficient roofing, you should focus on two areas: color and material. Dark-colored roofing materials absorb more of the sun's energy than any other type of roofing and what energy they absorb, they convert to heat. Simply installing light-colored roofing can help to keep your home cooler. In fact, if you install a white roof, you can save up to 20% on cooling costs. Some materials naturally absorb or reflect heat. Asphalt, for example, absorbs heat from the sun, which it then conducts into your home. Metal, on the other hand, reflects the sun's energy away from your home and can reduce your cooling costs by up to 40%.
Window Films
For years the primary method used to improve the thermal protection provided by windows has been trapping a layer of fill gas between two panes of glass. While this is not a bad idea, it does nothing to prevent the sun's rays from streaming into your house and heating up your home. You could cover your windows with a curtain all day, but then you lose the natural light provided by your windows. If you are looking for an option that does not require you to sacrifice your view, you should consider installing low-e film on your windows. Such films works by filtering out the sun's UV rays and can help to reduce your cooling costs by up to 23%.
Cooling a home through the summer represents a significant cost. In order to keep your utility bills as low as possible, you should start by installing a highly efficient AC unit, but simply trusting your air conditioner to do all the work of cooling your home for you may not be enough to realize the best savings possible. Thus, you should look into installing window film as soon as you can afford it. You may want to wait to replace your roof until your existing roof reaches the end of its service life, but when the time comes to install a new roof, make sure you install an energy-efficient material. Click here to learn more about air conditioning services.