U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Roofus' Solar and Efficient Home

It's Usually Hot Outside Where I Live

ENERGY STAR logo, showing half of the earth, with the word Energy written over it in cursive writing, and a star behind the writing.
Photo of the inside of a car with a sunroof. The sunroof is dark on one half and light on the other.

One side of this car's sunroof turns dark automatically to keep you cool inside. Compare it with the other side of the sunroof, which is made of regular glass.

If it's usually hot outside where you live, then your parents might want to use shades or blinds on the south side of the house to keep out the sun's heat. The east and west windows can let a lot of sunlight in, too, during the summer. You can help keep your house cool by closing the drapes during the day.

If your house is old and the windows are old, too, then they probably feel hot when you touch them on a hot day. You might feel a warm draft on a hot day, even with the window shut. But now there are windows with special coatings that won't feel hot on a hot day. They're called low-e windows, and they can help your house stay cool when it's hot outside.

Are your parents planning to replace windows or build a new addition to your home? They can save money and be good to the earth by buying energy-saving windows. Tell them to look for the ENERGY STAR® when they order new windows. The ENERGY STAR tells them that they are saving energy.