Jan. 17, 2024 - More and more people are using sustainable principles to build or retrofit their homes. One movement that is part of this trend is passive house design. Passive house design promotes, among other things, energy efficiency.

Passive houses use design, location, and orientation to reduce heating and cooling expenses. This isn't necessarily about the energy source – solar, wind, or existing fuel/power. It's about eliminating as much as possible – some articles suggest by 90%. Techniques to accomplish this include increased insulation, the strategic use of windows, and orientation to take full advantage of sunlight.

Of course, it isn't just about energy. The passive house is designed to have as little impact as possible on the environment, so sustainable design principles and products are used.

But what does this have to do with Draper At Home shades? Two things: Flexibility and sustainability. Oh, and a bonus.

Flexibility

While a passive house depends on the sun, obviously the sun itself is not passive. It moves throughout the day. Automated Draper At Home roller shades maximize sunlight while mitigating factors such as glare or cooling/warming air at the wrong times. Through the use of timers, sensors, and even more complex software we can make sure the shades are always at maximum deployment for energy efficiency, thermal comfort, and natural views.

Sustainability

I know what you're thinking. “If the goal is to use as little energy as possible, won't motorized shades do the opposite and use extra energy?”

Draper At Home battery shades are the answer. In addition to not connecting to the grid, we also have optional solar recharging panels so you don't have to plug in to recharge them.

Draper At Home also has other sustainable advantages. We have many environmentally friendly fabrics. We custom manufacture all of our roller shades in the U.S.A, so there's no shipping of final products from overseas. We use recycling, green lighting, and lean manufacturing principles to keep our footprint as small as possible.

The Bonus

A unique feature about Draper At Home is our wide range of shading solutions to make the most of energy-saving efforts. Outdoor shades block heat gain and glare even better than interior shades – or other interior window treatments. That's because they stop the sun's rays before they can hit the window! They aren't battery-powered but are available with a manual crank operator if you want to keep energy use to an absolute minimum.

To learn more about passive houses, check out this article.

Learn more about all our Draper At Home energy-saving solutions here.

By Clint Childress