Green Homes Special Series: Part Nine: Window Treatments

Always look first to products that are manufactured locally, says Upton. “From an environmental stewardship perspective, it saves energy and it supports the local economy. When we’re looking for the actual materials, locally harvested products such as wood should be the incentive, especially if the forest that the wood comes from is practicing certified forestry. Renewable resources are encouraged while rapidly renewable resources are encouraged even more.” Marketplace Availability Window treatments that keep green in mind are available. Here is a look at a few. 3M™ Corp., headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., offers window film products that block 99 percent of the Sun’s UV rays, the primary cause of fading and sun damage. They are available through its authorized window film dealers. Its Sun Control Film also reduces glare and improves comfort, reflecting up to 78 percent of the Sun's heat that comes through the window. For those in hot climates, that reduced heat gain can mean saving on air conditioning costs. Another product line, the Prestige Series, is a change from traditional films. It is transparent, has low reflectivity and superior heat rejection. Its no-metal technology avoids any tendency to corrode in coastal environments or to interfere with wireless devices. Because it is not dark or shiny, it does not change the interior or exterior appearances of your home. Hartmann & Forbes of Portland, Ore., whose handcrafted window coverings are available through interior designers, aggressively cultivates its environmental policies and procedures. Its roman shades and draperies are made from natural materials, including grasses, reeds and bamboo. Its ColourWeave Collection is handpainted using paints designed to exceed LEED environmental standards for VOCs. The U.S. Department of Energy suggests that window treatments offer a variety of benefits. Here are a few. Window awnings. They can reduce solar heat gain in the summer by up to 65 percent on south-facing windows and 77 percent on west-facing windows. Light-colored awnings reflect more sunlight. Window blinds. Whether they’re the vertical or horizontal slat-type, they are more effective at reducing summer heat gain than winter heat loss. Window shades. Properly installed window shades can be one of the simplest and most effective options for saving energy. For greater efficiency, consider dual shades that are white on one side and heat-absorbing dark on the other side. Keep the reflective side always facing the warmer side: outward in cooling season and inward in heating season. Draperies. Their ability to reduce heat loss and gain depends on fabric type and color. For example, the University of Florida found that medium-colored draperies with white-plastic backings reduced heat gains by 33 percent. High-reflectivity window films. They can help block summer heat gain but their effectiveness depends on several factors, including size of window glazing area and window and home orientation. Window overhangs. They can shade south-facing windows from summer heat and allow sunlight and warmth in during winter. Construction and orientation must consider such factors as latitude, climate, and window size and type. Under the company’s environmental program Project Green™, Hartmann & Forbes has worked with eco-experts, including the University of Oregon’s Sustainability Management Department, to help the company minimize its environmental impact across the business. This includes launching the Take-Back Initiative in which consumers can return used natural window coverings to the company to recycle at a local Oregon recycling facility. Though not a manufacturer, Budget Blinds has a vendor network for its 1,100 franchise territories across the United States and Canada. It polled its Vendor Alliance and found several good choices for eco-conscious customers. Suzi Carragher, director of corporate communications, notes that the company does verify vendor claims against listings on Web sites of certifying bodies. The company reports that products from its private label, Signature Series® by Budget Blinds, are certified by Green Built Home, a Wisconsin-based organization. That program reviews and certifies products that meet one or more requirements such as being Energy Star certified, Certified Organic or certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Carragher says the manufacturing facility for the Signature series was audited by URS, a global engineering firm, to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The manufacturer has instituted a program that recycles, reclaims and reduces waste. The facility uses sawdust to fire kilns and warm the facility. It regrinds PVC scrap for recycling and reuse. Further, the manufacturer has instituted programs that have resulted in reclaiming 90 million gallons of water annually and recycling 75 percent of its overall waste, which has diverted 43 million pounds of waste from the landfill to recyclers over the last decade. Several shutters, wood blinds and roller shades from other Alliance vendors are certified by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute, an industry-independent organization that tests for acceptable indoor air quality. Renewable or recycled resources are found in many woven wood products, and it has wood shutters and blinds made with wood obtained from a certified sustainable hardwood forest. Read other Green Homes Special Series articles here.

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