Take Advantage of Sunny Oregon Winter Days With This Helpful Tip
Oregon winters afford us very few sunny days. But, when the rare sun shower does occur, take advantage and naturally bring more heat into your home with this simple tip:
Keep your blinds or curtains closed as much as possible unless there is direct sunlight shining on the window.
During sunny winter days, open up the curtains or blinds on whatever side of the house the sun is shining. Adjust blinds so they are open and tilted toward the ceiling.
When direct sunlight isn’t shining on your windows, insulate them as much as possible by closing blinds or curtains. Consider adding heavier drapes to conserve warmth – this provides extra insulation and keeps the heat inside.
Why does this work? The sun emits a wide spectrum of frequencies. Glass has the property of allowing low-frequency sunlight to pass through. When sunlight is absorbed by the glass, it converts it to radiant heat. Glass is less transparent to this heat than visible light, so the heat is trapped inside the house. The trapping of heat is also called the greenhouse effect.
Using this simple, yet effective, solar home heating solution will help you save money on your energy bills during those rare sunny winter days.
Looking for more efficient solutions? Unsatisfied with an older, inefficient HVAC unit? Columbia Heating and Cooling has energy efficient options to help you save money this winter. We provide FREE replacement quotes – give us a call today!