Shade south-facing windows
Exterior louvers, trellises or awnings help keep the house cool.
The sun can easily overwhelm the house in summer. Exterior louvers provide shade but also allow a partial view. Louvers are preferable to awnings because they do a better job of shading windows when the sun is at a low angle or from the side. Trellises also help to shade windows from direct sunlight. Using one of these features may allow a smaller air conditioning system.
Learn more in the Green Building Encyclopedia
Profiled in our Product Guide
