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Most building owners spend billions of dollars to outfit windows with drapes, shades, or blinds. Only a small fraction of this expenditure is ever targeted towards energy-efficient systems. Increased numbers of pleated, cellular shades with R-values presented In the R-3+ range are now in the marketplace. Foam plugs have been successfully used in many regions for low-cost, high R capability. The following elements shall be compared with respect to economic, utilitarian, thermal, and moisture issues:
- Exterior systems
- Interior systems
- Traditional coverings
- Glazings, films, coatings
- Foam plugs
- Cellular shades
- Current research
There is an increasing interest in energy-efficient fenestration systems. For many existing property owners, new or replacement windows are not an option. Energy-efficient window treatments, or coverings, offer this class an opportunity to address the system efficiency often as a byproduct of an aesthetic refurbishment. Windows may be outfitted on the exterior, Interior, and even between glazings with devices that will modify the apertures thermal effect on the building. Different climates, not unusually, require different strategies. The following approaches are the ones most often discussed by staff of the US Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse (EREC).