One benefit you can reap from awnings on your home is that they can help make your home more energy-efficient and eco-friendly. But to maximize the eco-friendliness, you need to know about how awnings work and what it is that makes them energy-efficient. 

Here are five tips to help you optimize your eco-friendly awning installations.

1. Use Awnings in All the Right Places

Placing awnings over windows that are the sunniest in summer (especially at hot times of day) is essential for reducing unwanted heat gain. However, any window that gets unwanted sun at any point throughout the summer can also benefit from an awning for greater efficiency.

In addition to placing awnings over your windows, be sure to place them at these spots:

• Over French doors or other glass doors
• Over patios or other pavement near the house
• Over exposed cars and trucks

Patios, driveways, and other paved areas can reflect heat at a nearby house, as well as absorb heat throughout the day and release it at night. Either of these behaviors could overheat your house in summer. So you'll want to protect against this unwanted heat to optimize energy efficiency.

Keeping your car under an awning can also avoid excess AC usage because the car won't be superheated when you get into it. In addition, an awning-protected car won't have as much UV exposure, so it won’t degrade as much from the heat.

2. Retract or Winterize Awnings

Although heat gain is not great during the summer months, heat gain through your windows can be desirable for energy efficiency in winter. So you'll want to have the awnings out of the way once the weather gets cold.

You can either choose retractable awnings, which you can extend or withdraw on your own, or have your awning company winterize (remove) awnings right before winter and reinstall them in the spring.

3. Choose High-Quality Awnings for High-Quality Shade

Awnings can block 65-75 percent of solar heat gain to south- and west-facing windows in the summer. But the quality of the awning can affect how much it helps your windows stay cool. As is often the case, higher-quality products will serve you best.

For instance, you'll need to look for a thick material to block the most sun, a light-colored material to reflect the most sun, and a design that comes with ventilation to release any trapped heat. Checking for these characteristics can ensure that the awning you choose can provide effective shade for your home.

4. Choose Durable Awnings to Reduce Replacements

The higher-quality and more durable your awnings are, the less often you'll have to replace them. Since manufacturing products and shipping them to your home can have an environmental impact, choose long-lasting products to boost your eco-friendliness.

Some awning materials that tend to be durable and weather-resistant include vinyl and heavy plastic fabrics. And don't forget that how you care for your awnings can also affect their longevity. For instance, taking your awnings down before winter hits could also help them last longer because they'll experience less weathering.

5. Consider Solar-Powered Awnings

If you decide to install motorized awnings, be sure to look for solar-powered ones. Solar power is considered an eco-friendly source of energy, and choosing solar-powered awnings can avoid having to use a less eco-friendly power source for the awning motor. 

These considerations can help you to choose and install awnings with eco-friendly considerations in mind so you can get the most value and the most energy efficiency out of your awning products. For more information about installing awnings on your windows or winterizing your existing awnings, get in touch with Lexington Tent & Awning Co. today.