MM,
The best effect from shutters is if they are outside. Historically the are very common in the south European countries and there they are historically a massive window/door on the outside and opens out and locks against the wall , the windows/glass doors are either sliding or opens to the inside. The most commonly used today is shutters that rolls up in a box above the window/door, I bought ones with electrical engine since that make a good habit easier and it can also be programmable with a clock. The second best is to have thin shutters between window glasses that is aluminium pieces with variable angle. Excuse me, if I do not know the common name in English, I am almost sure that they have special names. The next least efficient is aluminium shutters or extra curtains with aluminium surfaces, placed on the inside of windows/doors. I think that all can understand why. The least efficient is the common curtains, but they still have a noticeable effect in interacting between the body and a cold/hot surface. It is only between 50 to 100 years ago, when they still had tapestry of textile on the inside of exterior walls, to manipulate and achieve higher surface temperatures. In rich homes of course. Much technology get forgotten or the original reason for them. I have seen many shutters in US also, but they often seems to be only decorations to achieve a certain style . I have experienced working ones in Southern parts of US. It seems however that the use of them have been forgotten in many parts of US or they are used for security when owners are not at home. Not particularly efficient in reality, but it is the feeling. In Southern Europe they also start to forget the function and talk mostly about them as security measure. They are also sold as that and it is very few hat I meet, who know the real use of those ancient shutters and it was not security, but a part of the old HVAC system. Only 35 years ago or 50 in Sweden, people did not have to lock the doors when they went out. Times change and many things, like theft, have gone dramatically to the worse. An other forgotten AC technique is the rope curtains from Asia (I think), often thinners ropes with glass pearls in different colors and covering entrance openings like doors and first floor windows. I mentioned this once before on the list. Originally they were kept humid with moving water that had a lower temperature than the air temperature, by the staff or in advanced cases from a stream. The effect is that warm humid air that passes will cool down and most important deposit more humidity to the rope curtain. When the air passed it warmed up again, but now it was much drier. The uptake of the body's transpiration improved in a significant way and the sensation is cooler and more comfortable, even if the air temperature was only slightly lower. I remember that I also mentioned why the ancient palace gardens often had many fountains, often supplied and driven by nearby natural streams. It is an other variant of rope curtains. If you are in a city square with fountains, people will often be drawn close to the fountains, because they feel better there during warm and humid summer days. Again the rope curtain effect. I will stop here, otherwise you will be bored to death by my ranting. Hakan At 01:43 24/01/2004, you wrote: > >I am ready with a final draft of "First aid for house owners". As many > >know, I strongly believe that alternative energy sources and energy > >conservation are two sides of the same coin. I would like comments and > >suggestions as usual and hope that it would be close to the subject this > time. > > > >First aid for house owners. > >Final draft, Jan. 2004. > ><http://www.energysavingnow.com/firstaid/>http://www.energysavingnow.com/ > firstaid/ > > > >Hakan > > > >I enjoyed your section on window shutters. It made sense to me, as I >have noticed while staying at a house near Paris that such outdoor >shutters were common, even though I had not previously experienced >them. I can see how they might have some valuable energy-related >properties. > >I don't think they're realistic though for my present home, because >almost all my windows are large sliding glass doors. > >Do you have any further ideas on window treatments... i.e.: blinds, >shades, curtains? The one idea I've heard so far is to go to Home >Depot because they apparently have some sort of Aluminum-reflective >type blind that is inexpensive and good for summertime to keep the >sun's warming out. Also, on one or two sites similar to your own >topic (greenbuilder.com, etc.) I did see some mention of shades which >have a good high R value which would help in winter. I don't know if >it's advisable to try to combine both products. Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
