What do you want when you go green?
People can rattle off any number of reasons:
-
Saving money on energy
-
Signaling social conscience
-
Becoming more sustainable
-
Participating in social and community events
Going green isn’t a trend; it’s a lifestyle choice. Like any other lifestyle choice, green living is about establishing priorities and determining how you can achieve them.
Retractable awnings are a surprisingly pragmatic option. Some reasons are obvious, like reduced electricity use (and lower electricity bills). Others are less apparent – like using retractable awnings in xeriscaping yards and lowering the amount of time indoors.
Retractable Awnings and Energy
The biggest reason to go green almost always comes down to money. Especially when times get troubled, people look for creative ways to save a penny. Energy bills are some of the largest monthly expenses for both homes and businesses, so saving energy saves money.
Retractable awnings block sunlight before it reaches the exterior of a building. Along with being shady, this means that the heat from sunlight never reaches the building – which means that the inside of the building doesn’t heat up as much. This can lower indoor heat gain anywhere from eight to 20 degrees and lower air conditioning use by 25% or more. According to a 2007 study by the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association, that reduction in electricity use can translate into hundreds of dollars a year. While that’s an easy choice for sunny climates like Phoenix, San Diego, and Houston, even northeastern cities – not known for blazing sun or hot summers – saw hundreds of dollars in savings because of how expensive electric rates are.
Retractable awnings are a green product because of lower energy use and, therefore, cost savings. That’s really enough for a simplified, more sustainable lifestyle. But for the true environmentalists, there is another thing to consider: the modest electricity reductions from retractable awnings save anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 pounds of CO2 production per year for an average household (according to calculations from TerraPass). A smaller carbon footprint is a big deal for a lot of green households.
Retractable Awnings and the Out of Doors
The most important part of “green living” is the living. Going green means a fundamental shift in how people look at daily lives: reducing consumption, focusing on local interests, developing an appreciation for nature. Retractable awnings can be a small but useful part of this by making it easier to enjoy being outside in two ways:
-
Protecting from glare and UV rays
-
Lowering temperatures in the shade
Moving outside reduces indoor light use, lessens the amount of time spent on high-consumption equipment like computers and TVs, and can even lower usage of climate control systems.
From a landscaping perspective, retractable awnings can provide valuable shade over important areas of the yard. Shade reduces evaporation, which, in turn, decreases the amount of water required to maintain a yard. Shade gardens and xeriscaping (using native plants) are both lower consumption than ornamental gardens or even grass turf, and retractable awnings – which can use sun sensors automatically adjust to allow the appropriate amount of light – simplify yard maintenance.
Take a Look at the Way It’s Made
Part of green living is an awareness not just of what one personally uses, but where those products come from.
Retractable awning manufacturers are increasingly adopting green techniques. Some things to look for are basic recycling programs, energy efficiency measures like natural lighting, and waste control.
For example, Sunbrella® – one of the largest awning fabric manufacturers in the world – uses nearly waste-free manufacturing processes and is actively pursuing ISO environmental certifications for its manufacturing facilities. Italian-based Para® offers a special fabric line, Tempotest®, which is Ecotest® certified. Ecotest® certifications guarantee that a certified product doesn’t contain harmful elements and is compatible with the natural environment.
Where awning components are manufactured can have an even bigger effect on their environmental footprint. Both North American and European manufacturers must adhere to stringent environmental regulations for manufacturing plants, which lowers their overall consumption, pollution, and waste. Lower cost manufacturers in Asia (especially China), however, have lax or nonexistent environmental controls, which contributes to a lot of manufacturing pollution.
Going green with retractable awnings has the bonus, then, of better quality because of better manufacturing standards. It also gives you more options – like motors, sun sensors, wind and rain sensors, remote controls and adjustable an optional adjustable pitch – which make retractable awnings easier to use. The easier an awning is to use, the more likely it is to be used consistently, and the more you’ll save on energy.
Ultimately, going green is about making simple, daily choices. Putting up retractable awnings is one of those simple choices that can help make your overall lifestyle greener.
