The Green Window

I recently spent a weekend at The Empire Hotel across from Lincoln Center. It’s a beautiful hotel in a great location. Of course, the first things I pay attention to is the drapery and most often I am disappointed. Not this time! At least at first glance.

Decorating with Fabric’s SolarSmart Shading Systems is a complete offering of products and ideas to control glare and reduce heat from entering a space. This guide will cover all aspects of what it takes to achieve these described outcomes.

Here is my latest article in The New York Real Estate Journal. If you would like the link to the online version, please click here>

What is a Green Window?

Once you are past the fabric choices, there are other options that Decorating with Fabric’s SolarSmart Shading System offers. The control mechanisms are the next consideration. You can choose spring rollers, clutch rollers, spring-assist clutch rollers and of course motorization. Within motorization, your options include battery powered (limited in size and weight), hardwired and wireless

SmartSolar Shading Systems by Decorating with Fabric is a very effective way of keeping the heat out of buildings by filtering the sun through its energy efficient fabrics. The use of these shading systems also can significantly reduce glare.

Daylighting shading systems work through redirecting the natural light to reduce the usage of artificial lighting and thereby reduce the energy used both for powering electric lights and energy used cooling the heat generated by the electric lights. However, using the daylight to accomplish this requires dynamic control over the solar energy entering the building

Energy reduction through solar shading and window coverings may be quantified in two primary categories; reduction of solar energy entering a space and thereby reducing the amount energy used for cooling and reduction of thermal energy leaving the space and thereby reducing the energy required for heating.

             Below is a summary of which window covering products and/or systems may qualify for credits when applying for various levels of LEED Certification.  The LEED Reference Guide for Green Building Design and Construction, 2009 edition was the source used for the information in this document.