Awnings, sunscreens, trellises, and shade trees are some of the ways homeowners block solar heat in summer.
The keys to reducing air conditioning costs in mobile homes are to shade the windows and either shade the roof or coat it with a reflective coating. Solar screens and window films are good immediate solutions to window shading. However, it’s ideal to stop the sun before it even gets near the home. Check the following links for more information on window shading.
-
Exterior Window Shading Solutions
-
Shade Trees Reduce Air Conditioning Costs
-
Fertilize and Water Your Shade Trees
-
Trellises for Summer Shade
-
Window Films Block Solar Heat
-
Interior Shades Provide Summer Cooling
If you live in a humid climate, moisture can increase your cooling costs because your air conditioner must take moisture out of the air to produce acceptable comfort. In mobile homes, the moisture comes from two main sources. The first source is moisture migration from the ground. Every mobile home should have a plastic ground-moisture barrier. The second source of moisture is air leakage, so sealing air leaks will also reduce air-conditioning costs. Check the following links for more information on moisture control.
-
Control Moisture in Your Crawl Space
-
Solving Moisture Problems
-
Building Science: Moisture and Humidity
-
Humidity Increases Air Conditioning Costs
For more specific information on low-cost cooling, see the following Saturn publications.