How Tinting Your Home’s Windows Can Conserve Energy

Are you looking for ways to conserve energy in your home? Have you considered tinting your windows? Here’s how window tinting can help conserve energy.

Did you know that home windows account for a third of heat energy loss during winter? Like that's not bad enough, they also contribute to heat gains in the summer. In short, they waste a lot of energy and place more pressure on your heating and cooling system.

Luckily, residential window tinting can help prevent that from happening. Moreover, there are many other ways these window treatments can conserve energy.

So, how exactly can window tinting help you minimize your energy consumption at home?

Keep reading, and we'll tell you all about it below.

Insulates Against Summer Heat

Insulation refers to materials that create barriers, such as against energy transmission. For instance, it can be a shield against heat or thermal energy.

Residential window tint films are a perfect example of such insulating materials.

After all, home window tint blocks the sun's warmth from passing through windows. As a result, less solar thermal energy transfers to the glass pane. That reduction then minimizes the amount of heat that enters your home.

So, tinted windows can help keep your home from getting too hot due to the summer heat. That makes it easier for your air conditioning system to cool down your home. That reduced cooling load on your AC then leads to a decrease in its energy consumption.

Now, keep in mind that air conditioner use, on average, makes up about 17% of electricity consumption in U.S. homes. So if you pay $1,500 a year for electricity, about $255 of that is for cooling your home alone.

That's a lot of money you could save a good chunk of if you get your home windows tinted.

Keeps Warm Air Indoors During Winter

Insulation also helps create a barrier against the cold. So, window tinting also benefits your home in the winter by keeping chilly air outdoors.

At the same time, window tint keeps the warm air from your heating system from leaking outside. So, rather than the heat escaping through the glass, the film makes it bounce back indoors.

That can help your energy conservation efforts, as a home heater uses even more energy than an AC. So much so that, on average, it accounts for about 29% of a typical household's energy bills.

With less heated air escaping your windows, your home heating system has less work to do. That allows your heater to regulate your indoor climate faster and more efficiently. You might also feel warm enough to set your thermostat to a lower temperature.

Reduces Reliance on Artificial Lighting

About 4% of the U.S. residential sector's electricity consumption in 2021 was for lighting. Together, households used 59 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy to illuminate their homes.

Those figures highlight the opportunities for saving energy by reducing lighting needs.

Fortunately, residential window tint can help you take advantage of those opportunities. One reason is that today's home window films don't need to be opaque or dark to reject the sun's heat.

For instance, high-quality solar films for home windows can be virtually invisible. So, they can be almost as transparent as window glass that you might not even notice them!

Thus, even if your windows have "tinted" films, they still allow sunlight to enter. You can then take advantage of natural light to ditch your artificial lights. The fewer light bulbs and lamps you turn on, the more energy you can therefore save.

Lessens the Need for Draperies

Draperies (also called drapes for short) are like curtains but are longer as they reach the floor. They can help reduce heat gains in windows since they block some solar heat from entering your home. Moreover, they can cut heat losses in the winter by keeping warm air indoors.

The problem is that drapes are hard to wash because of their size and thickness. For instance, cleaning them requires more water and detergent than thinner, smaller curtains. Moreover, they need to spend more time in the washing machine for a more thorough cleaning.

There's also the likelihood of all your drapes not fitting your washing machine. In that case, you need to run the washer for several cycles to get all your draperies cleaned.

All those cycles can add up, resulting in higher energy consumption and utility bills.

Don't forget you also need to dry your drapes in the dryer. That further increases the energy required to maintain them.

So, why not ditch the draperies and switch to window tinting instead?

While nearly-invisible films are one option, you can also go for darker films. Don't worry, as they still allow sunlight to pass through the windows.

Alternatively, you can opt for a lighter tint shade. You can then hang thinner, easier-to-clean curtains over your windows.

Saves Energy With Reduced Screen Brightness

According to experts, the brighter a TV is, the more energy it consumes.

Glare, in turn, is one reason that might prompt you to increase your TV's brightness. After all, the brighter the display screen is, the better it cuts through glare and reflection.

Bare, untreated windows are common culprits behind glare in homes. That's again due to the uncontrolled amount of sunlight they allow to pass through. That light reflects on shiny surfaces such as TVs, computers, and smartphones.

The good news is that glare reduction is also one of the top benefits of residential window tinting.

So with films on your home windows, you can reduce glare. As a result, you can also minimize the brightness setting of your screened devices. That lets you enjoy your fave shows while lowering your electronics' energy use.

Conserve Energy With Residential Window Tinting

As you can see, residential window tinting can help you conserve energy at home. After all, it boosts window insulation while reducing reliance on artificial lights. And don't forget it blocks over 99% of ultraviolet radiation.

So, why not consider installing high-quality window films today? The sooner you do, the sooner you can live in a more eco-conscious home.

Are you ready to reap the benefits of high-quality home window films? If so, our team here at Applied Film Technology is happy to help! Contact us now to learn about our exceptional products and services!