By Chris Balzer   

But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
– William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

No one would dispute having the beauty of soft natural light shining through our windows puts a smile on our face and warms the heart.  We have windows to let in light and give us views into our world. Whether it’s a lake front, ocean front, pool front or simply a view of the outside.  For a time when I worked in a cubical, I often dreamt of having a view, even if it was of the parking lot, something to let in natural sunlight. Now, I am finding that many of us have windows that are letting in much more than soft natural light and have become a sore spot.  We hunt for blinds and curtains or just quarantine the area from 1pm to 7pm. We search for dark or mirrored tint to help against the heat while maintaining some of our view. We place towels and blankets over our furniture and wood floors to protect from fading and cracking. We even go to the extreme of replacing our windows with expensive new ones.  Did you know there’s a solution? It’s called ERF (energy reflective film). I know what you are thinking, another tint, great, tried that, didn’t work or my HOA won’t allow it. ERF is not your typical window tint; in fact, it contains some of the most recent technological advances. Most tints use dyes and aluminum, ERF uses a proprietary technology to distribute tiny gold and silver particles allowing the film to be virtually clear and highly energy efficient.  A client of ours in Inlet Beach built their home in 2017 but struggled with trying to keep their master suite cool due to all the windows facing direct sunlight. We coated their windows two months ago and they recently contacted us and said, “Thank you so much! We are very happy with the heat reduction we have noticed.” The science behind the magic: Astronauts use a visor assembly coated with a thin layer of gold that filters out the sun’s harmful rays and protects the spacewalker from extreme temperatures. This technology has been adopted and is now available to solve heat problems in our homes and offices.  One popular question I’m asked is; “Do I need to coat all my windows?” The answer is no. We want to address the problem windows. The windows which get direct sunlight, the windows which you feel heat radiating from or the room which won’t stay cool. Because the film is virtually clear, you will maintain architectural integrity. What our ERF film won’t do is block glare or shade a room. ERF blocks the heat, not the view. ERF also rejects 99% Ultraviolet (UV) rays, protecting you, your animals, your floors and furniture. If you have been searching for a heat reduction solution, please contact us for an in-home demonstration and see for yourself how we can block the heat and not view.

Chris Balzer is Founder and President of Emerald Coast Energy Solutions and resides in the Santa Rosa Beach area with his wife and 3 Children.  For more information on how to save this summer and become energy efficient schedule an inspection by calling (850) 588-2870, visit www.trusteces.com or email wecare@trusteces.com and Beat the Heat.