Summer Shading Performance of Awnings
Many studies have been done over the years on the benefits of awnings and exterior window coverings, although most of those studies have been conducted in Europe, where awnings are commonplace. However, in 2010 a project to directly measure reduced air conditioner energy due to awnings was conducted at the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology.
The awning evaluation was carried out at the The Canadian Centre for Housing Technology’s twin-house research facility in Ottawa, Canada, in the spring and summer of 2010. The twin-house facility has been in operation since 1998, and has been the site of many side-by-side comparisons of energy saving technologies. The unique nature of the facility allows researchers to not only evaluate energy savings, but also the whole house effects including temperatures and humidity. Data from over 250 sensors are monitored continuously, and special-purpose sensors and data loggers are installed for particular projects.
The entire study can be viewed or downloaded here:
http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2012/schl-cmhc/NH18-22-112-104-eng.pdf