Highly insulated Hunter Douglas Duette Architella shades can more than double energy efficiency of window
Consumers may now have the opportunity to save on their energy bills and their taxes with Duette Architella honeycomb shades from Hunter Douglas. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, federal tax credits for energy-efficient products are available for 30 percent of the cost of most Hunter Douglas Duette Architella shades, up to a maximum of $1,500 in total, when purchased and installed through December 31, 2010, provided the expense meets the tax guidelines. Highly insulating Duette Architella shades, which can more than double the energy efficiency of a window, are the first and only window shades to qualify for the tax credit without add-on insulation systems.
“Uncovered windows can literally be energy holes, depleting a home of up to half of its heating and cooling energy dollars,” said Marv Hopkins, Hunter Douglas President and CEO. “We specifically designed and developed the award-winning, strikingly beautiful Duette Architella shade – our most energy-efficient product and the fastest-growing innovation in the extremely popular cellular category – to address this problem. This takes the air-trapping cellular structure of our original Duette honeycomb shade and makes it even more energy-efficient by placing a cell within a cell.”
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes energy efficiency tax credits on select products for existing homes, including Windows and Doors, Insulation Materials & Systems, Roofs, HVAC, Water Heaters (non-solar) and Biomass Stoves. Most Duette Architella shades that are mounted completely inside the window frame over double-glazed windows can qualify under the insulation category. Specifically, qualifying Duette Architella shades are categorized as an “Eligible Building Envelope Component” and meet the requirements for the Non-business Energy Property under Internal Revenue Code Section 25C, as modified by Section 1121 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Details about Hunter Douglas Duette Architella Honeycomb Shades
Introduced in 2006, Duette Architella shades have insulating R-values as high as 7.86 and solar heat gain coefficients as low as 0.15. Their patented honeycomb-within-a-honeycomb design forms more air pockets than traditional honeycomb shades and reduces heat transfer at the window by up to 50 percent when the shades are properly installed – more than doubling the energy efficiency of the window and helping to lower heating and cooling costs.
Calculations, based on a conservative energy-savings methodology that was validated by the Rocky Mountain Institute, show that Duette Architella shades can save up to $2.94 per square foot annually in energy costs and approximately 10 percent of an average household’s carbon footprint. Of course, estimates will vary by region.
With its 180 color and design choices, Duette Architella offers an extensive interiors design palette. What’s more, Duette Architella shades offer a variety of lifting systems designed with child safety in mind. And, like most Hunter Douglas product offerings, Duette Architella shades have passed rigorous standards and test procedures and are GreenGuard Indoor Air Certified and also certified by GreenGuard for Children & Schools.
