Modern Precious Metals® PowerView® Motorization Pebble®
Did you know you can save money on energy costs by choosing the right blinds, shades, or curtains? Automated window coverings help manage your home’s temperature and the amount of light that gets in, which reduces the amount you spend on your monthly utility bills.
Automated window coverings are more than just cost effective, though. They also look beautiful, add comfort to your home, and make day-to-day life much more convenient!
In this month’s post, we’ll go over how automated window coverings work and how to integrate them to maximize your energy savings. Then we’ll talk about design options to help you find a style that works with your home.
How do smart window coverings work?
Automated blinds, shades, and curtains can be programmed and controlled through a remote control, mobile app, or home automation system (like Alexa, Google Home, or Apple HomeKit). This means you can set up a schedule with different window settings for different times of day. Plus, you can always open or close your window coverings remotely whenever you wish. Some shades and blinds can even be voice-controlled.
You can also choose to purchase a system that will automatically adjust its own settings based on temperature or ambient sunlight. Shades can also be adjusted remotely from anywhere in the world, so long as you have an internet connection.
How can window coverings improve energy efficiency?
Did you know that around 30% of a home’s heating energy gets lost through windows? The right window coverings will help manage the temperature and lighting in your home, saving you money on heating and electric bills.
Even regular, non-automated window coverings help make your home more energy efficient by providing insulation and keeping out sunlight, but things get even better when you have smart window coverings.
Smart technology allows you to conserve much more energy, because your window coverings can adjust for maximum energy efficiency (and maximum savings) even when you’re not home.
Save energy year round
With the right technology and proper installation, you can program your window coverings with different settings for different seasons (and for weekends, vacations, and more — you name it!).
For example:
In the summer: Want to keep your home cool on hot days? You can program your blinds or shades to close over the windows that will get direct sunlight during the day, but let natural light shine through other windows. This not only reduces HVAC usage, but it also allows you to rely less on artificial lighting. Natural light doesn’t cost a penny, and it has a long list of health benefits!
In the winter: You might want to let some light in during cold, sunny days to warm up your house a bit while you’re at work. You won’t have to leave the heater blasting all day just to avoid coming back to a frigid home in the evening. You can program your window coverings to automatically open during peak daylight hours, especially on windows that will get direct sunlight (like skylights).
Convenience is key
In the past, energy efficiency meant constantly keeping tabs on the temperature in your home and the position of the sun, and then continuously adjusting your blinds, shades, and curtains by hand.
Now you don’t even need to get up from the sofa to adjust your window coverings remotely. If you set up a smart system that runs on a schedule (or even one that adjusts itself) you don’t even need to lift a finger!
The time you spend manually adjusting window coverings around your home might not sound like much, but all those daily adjustments add up to many hours over the years that you could be spending on other important tasks or activities that bring you joy. With automated window coverings, you don’t have to choose between making time for yourself and conserving energy.
Integration with home automation systems
Is your house already equipped with a smart home hub? Or are you thinking about getting one? Window treatments can integrate with home automation systems like Alexa, Google Home, Siri, Apple Home Kit, and more. This kind of integration means you can adjust your window coverings, lights, thermostat, and more with a single tap or voice command.
You can also configure your home to respond independently to temperature levels, which allows you to continuously reduce your energy usage every minute of every day. The different elements of your home are all able to work together to maximize energy efficiency — and minimize your monthly bills.
Here are just a few examples of how it can work:
- You specify the temperature you want, and your thermostat and window coverings both adjust together.
- Turning on the lights can trigger your blinds to close, and vice versa.
- You can set your lights and window coverings to adjust when your system senses you arriving or leaving your home for the day.
- You can automate your shades based on the position of the sun. For example, set your lights to turn on 1 hour before sunset and your lights will turn on at a slightly different time every day.
- Nearly endless other possibilities.
This level of automation also makes your home more comfortable. For example, you have better temperature control in the winter, and less dry, stuffy forced air from your heating system. This means the humidity in your home will be at a healthier and more pleasant level.
Vignette® PowerView® Motorization
No need to sacrifice design for function
When people think of automated homes, they often picture sleek, futuristic-looking appliances and furnishings. While you can certainly find many beautiful blinds, shades, and curtains in that style, you’re not limited to those designs. In fact, automated window coverings come in nearly any style, color, pattern, and material — including fabric, wood, faux-wood, and aluminum.
At Portland Window Coverings, our design-focused approach makes it easy to customize your window treatments to meet your needs and complement your home. You’ll love our incredible selection of Hunter Douglas blinds, shades, and curtains.
The window coverings we offer are:
- Designed to be energy efficient (saving up to 50% of heating and cooling energy)
- Durable, convenient, reliable, and beautiful
- Simple to operate and safe for children and pets
- Perfect for providing privacy and adjusting light in your home
- Designed and assembled in the United States
We offer the PowerView Motorization system, which integrates with many of our Hunter Douglas window treatments and gives your home a higher level of intelligence. Awarded the industry’s most prestigious design designation, PowerView Motorization allows you to control your window coverings through a digitally-programmed schedule, remotely, or based on pre-set factors.
Work with our expert designers
The designers at Portland Window Coverings can help you choose the perfect blinds, drapes, and curtains for your home, lifestyle, and personal design preferences. We even offer custom solutions for windows of all shapes and sizes.
If you have questions about automation, integration, design styles, or anything else, we’re always here to help! Give us a call at (503) 676-6374 or request a free in-home consultation online.