Mountain Cabin – Residential Single Home

Solar Heat Gain • Privacy • Winter Insulation

ThermeShade: City of Encinitas City Hall Project
Building: Constructed 1941
Location: Sierra Nevada Mountains
Climate: Mountainous Semi-arid
5,000 ft elevation
Exposure: All Sides
Applications: Roller Blinds
Coverage: 78 sq ft

Lessons learned from a 1940s cabin

Even if you don’t live in an idyllic cabin in the woods, windows in existing homes are responsible for 25-30% of heat loss and heat gain.

‘I felt cozy…there was 10 feet of snow outside.’

ThermēShades can be a cost effective solution to upgrading the insulation value of your windows. It doesn’t matter whether you have

  • Single pane windows/double pane windows
  • Low-e coatings
  • Aluminum Frame windows
  • Vinyl Frame windows
  • Wood Frame windows

Any type of window can be improved

This homeowner added some nice thick curtains for the evenings but in the mornings the curtains are opened to let light in and enjoy the scenery. Energy efficiency is maximized in this cabin by leaving the ThermēShade in the down position all the time.

ThermeShade: City of Encinitas City Hall Project
SMUD Project - Exterior AFter ThermeShade installation

U-factor Insulation for Winter

ThermēShades slow the transfer of heat through your windows. The longer heat stays inside the more comfortable you are. This home owner covered all his windows to minimize heat loss.

Solar Heat Gain is being reduced by 56%*

We have engineered and tested our ThermēShades to filter non-visible infrared solar energy before it enters the room.

Visible Transmittance .40*

This means that 40% of the light is getting through. This is an extraordinary amount of light while reducing heat gain one month and increasing insulation the next.

‘I’ve left them down since they were installed.’

Just like any home improvement project, the more you can do, the better your home performs. Each window is leaking energy both winter and summer unless the outside temperature is equal to the desired inside temperature. ThermēShades regulate heat in all seasons.

ThermeShade: City of Encinitas City Hall Project
  • mountain cabin visibility with thermeshade down

The Value of Coziness

Each homeowner decides how they want to feel inside their own space, yet everyone has felt those chilly drafts during the winter months and excessive heat as the sun starts to heat the interior during summer.

Feedback like the word ‘cozy’ is often used to try to describe what our bodies are trying to tell us when the temperature fluctuation is minimal and our heating and cooling units are not working overtime but as they were designed.

We get that that description often and it makes us happy.
That’s why we designed it.

*Values noted above are calculated using a ThermēShade covering a wood frame window with double-paned glass.
Simulated using test methods: AERC 1, AERC 2, AERC 1.3 WINDOW/THERM Simulation Manual.
Software Used: Berkeley Lab WINDOW 7.8.28, THERM 7.8.16, AERCalc 1.3.9