Awnings: a simple cooling tech we apparently forgot about

A note on sun angles throughout the year: I included (then removed) a section in the script where I explained how the correct overhang on a South-facing window will completely block the sun in the summer when the sun is high in the sky, but will let sunlight pass in the winter when the sun is low in the sky. A remnant of that lived on when I discussed those really fancy home design techniques. The reason I decided to remove it was that there are plenty of places on Earth where this is irrelevant! If you live where heating your home is rarely if ever a concern, then that sort of selective blocking wouldn’t be important to you. You’ll want to block the sun all the time! And in any case, since adjustable awnings are a thing, a discussion on ideal overhang angles felt too weedsy. But, since a few remnants of that discussion remain, I wanted to leave this explanation so you’re not confused.

In temperate climates, planting deciduous trees on the sunward side of a house shades it in the summer and lets the sun in during the winter. Genius.

Any technology channel can make a video on a new $1000 smartphone, only a master of the art can make a 20 minute video on awnings.

Do keep in mind, many homes used to be designed with an east half and a west half. As the sun rises, spend time in the west half, and as the day goes on, spend your day in the East half with an awning, warm, but totally shaded. It's an old method, but worked VERY well at my grandfather's home. And it got up to 125 on some summer days! It could be cooking 120 on the west side of the house, turning that part into an actual oven approaching 150. The east side with open doors and windows but closed screens allowed that side to stay at about 85. Very livable and doable and pleasant. Having many fruit trees in the yard allowed for berry bushes and grapes. Old techniques are so simple, yet so deliberate.

European guy here living in an old home: we have old wooden external rollers, which can be skewed in the summer to get some cooling airflow between the window and the roller. Have not seen those anywhere else, so once again: old-school passive solutions are sometimes just pure genius.

If you've ever lived in a house that had awnings and then had them removed, you learn quickly why they were installed in the first place.

0:35 “i’m not here to sell you anything” And now it dawns on me that this guy had never run an ad in any of the days of videos that I have watched… Thank you! You’re awesome 😊

Hats are the same way. A wide brimmed hat on a hot sunny day helps a lot more than you'd expect.

Our 1940s house came without and needed them. Very soon, a neighbor trashed theirs, same size windows we had. So a quick transplant, and life was cool. Moved to a 1980s house that was built with them. This time they were roll up types great for the winter. This third house has no awnings, but huge roof overhangs of about 3 ft. Works like awnings. And winter is not a problem in the north, because the sun sits so low it does get past the roof and into the house. Perfect!

15:16 "It's not like awnings don't come with any drawbacks..." Indeed. Many awnings can be drawn back during the winter months to let more heat energy in, and let you enjoy the sight of a beautiful winter day.

4:10 props to Alec, a well dressed man, for wearing a necktie to avoid being compared to a beautiful home which is devoid of awnings

I love the awnings on my little 50s house. People have told ne to get rid of them to "update" my homes look. But I love the shade and bring able to have the windows open during rain. And the noise of raindrops falling on the aluminum awnings is so soothing.

Scrolled a bit, did not find a comment on it, but won't read 5k+ comments, so here it goes. "European" roller shutters are double walled. They do not get hot from the inside. Some even have extra insulating foam inside. The window does not get warm. Their added bonus is that they provide extra isolation in the winter, too. Keeping the cold out. Also, they provide protection from the elements. Hailstorms are no match for those shutters. They can also be closed all the way, if properly installed, providing a blackout effect on the light, so you can sleep better during the day. Last but not least, they provide added sound proofing. PS. a few spelling corrections.

Michigan just prohibited HOAs from banning "Energy-saving improvement or modifications.” It doesn't specifically mention awnings, but I think it would be easy to argue they count. Here is what it says: “Energy-saving improvement or modification” includes, but is not limited to, all of the following: (i) A clothesline. (ii) Air source heat pumps. (iii) Ground source heat pumps. (iv) Insulation. (v) Rain barrels. (vi) Reflective roofing. (vii) Energy efficient appliances. (viii) Solar water heaters. (ix) Electric vehicle supply equipment. (x) Energy-efficient windows. (xi) Energy-efficient insulation materials.

An architect here. The weather in North Africa gets really hot in the summer (more than 40 degrees Celsius or 104 F) and most of my clients request these automatic aluminium shutters which are quite ugly and make all the windows look like mini- garages, but they do a great job in reflecting most of the heat and direct sunlight. The issue that it's either you solely rely on artificial light or just turn the house into a glorified greenhouse. What most contemporary architects do is actually look back at how traditional houses were built because they were excellent at utilizing materials and shade to naturally cool down houses by A LOT. One of the techniques used is that the awning is actually part of the building, where the window seems like it is indented in the wall (which is either built thick 50cm or almost 20 inches or it is a double wall with air between them that act as an insulator. ) or carved in and almost no direct sunlight reaches it unless it's late afternoon and by then it isn't that hot. the thick walls also help a great deal with not letting the heat reach the internal walls. Some old houses have horizontal wooden slanted louvres called "Shish" and that blocks the sun without blocking airflow and it is surprisingly effective. Another technique which is genius is the use of windcatchers, where a chimney-esque structure is built but facing the wind (Which is NW where i live) and that "catches" the cool breeze. Cold air is heavier so it descends until it is heated back up again and escapes through other openings that are high near the ceiling creating a cross-ventilation system and you have natural cooling all day long. some old lavish houses in Old Cairo even have a dedicated livingroom with a water fountain right under the windcatcher to introduce humidity to the dry desert wind and make it even more pleasant and cooling. It baffles me how these are solutions that are tried and true, much cheaper than AC, more aesthetically pleasing and more environmentally friendly, yet everyone opts for AC that just dumps more heat making outdoor spaces unbearable in the summer.

Greetings from northern Europe. My uncle build a new home in the last decade and they had automatic awnings installed. They roll out when it's sunny, but also can be rolled out to cover the porch from rain. If it's too windy, the awnings roll automatically in so they don't get torn.

European here. The office I work at has electric awnings on the sun-side of the building. You just push a button and it goes down - it's awesome cause you can even let air flow in whilst blocking the hot direct sun. I am team electric awning!

Funny to notice that here in Italy basically every house, condo, or villa is equipped with awnings, typically retractable ones. You're so encouraged to install them that if you buy certified sun blocking awnings, you get a tax refund.

Growing up, my grandparents' house (built in the 50s) in Miami had corrugated aluminum thicc boi awnings, which served double purpose as storm shutters. When a hurricane was a few hours away, I would go outside with my grandfather and disconnect the poles holding them up, then screw the bottom of them into an anchor point below the window. So much easier than buying plywood or putting up single purpose shutters. Edit: Found them, they're called clamshell awnings.

I spent some time in Europe, where exterior shutters--actually functional ones and not the fake ones on many US houses--were really common. I'd love to see shutters make a comeback. You can close them when you're out all day at work or whatever so the house stays cool, and then you can open them up in the evening and get your view. And they can protect the window in heavy winds or hail.