I installed three motorized solar shades and a motorized retractable awning a year ago. We love them.
Our house sits to the South East and has great views of Elfin Forest. Unfortunately, the sun blasts that side of the house in the morning and we frequently drew our shades. And then a week later we would remember that we had a great view and pull the shades up. Now, the exterior motorized shades are programmed (via remote and app) to come down at sunrise automatically (you can still see through the shade despite them being 95% solar shades) and then roll up around 1pm when the sun passes over the house.
The shades serve a purpose of preserving our view and ensuring that we see it every day as well as blocking all of the heat that used to enter the house. Our interior shades were only ‘slowing’ the heating of the house. Prior to the solar shades on a typical 85 degree August day, the A/C may kick on around 10 or 11am. Now with the shades, the A/C doesn’t kick in until later in the afternoon.
Our courtyard use to never get used during midday when it was in the mid 80’s as, now with the awning, it is a great place to relax midday. The awning rolls out around 11am and retracts around 5pm.
We have a few other large windows that we will most likely add motorized shades this year.
