In addition to a new year, the arrival of 2010 also brought the launch of Sunesta Shade Systems' new corporate website, designed as a comprehensive resource for homeowners and dealers alike. 

"While the address remains the same, www.sunesta.com, the content is all new," said Sunesta's National Sales and Marketing Manager, Jeff Bedard.  "We've been working on the redesign of our website and our overall brand for more than a year now, and are excited to see everything coming together."

Behind the scenes work centered on the feedback of Sunesta's dealers and our consumers.  "We wanted to learn what features and tools would be most applicable in educating homeowners about the beauty, benefits and convenience offered by Sunesta's retractable shade systems," said Bedard.  "We want to thank each of our dealers and Sunesta Shade System homeowners for their time and ideas.  Our hope is for this redesigned website to be an invaluable tool in the purchase of a retractable shade system."

The new Sunesta website will also feature the rebranded logo and marketing literature, complete warranty information, a photo gallery, dealer locator and detailed product information.

With Phase I of the website redesign completed, Sunesta plans to introduce several additional features during the coming months including the Design Center, which is a tool to help homeowners visualize the appearance of a retractable shade system (in any one of Sunesta's available fabrics) on a home. We will also be adding information on new products that will be introduced throughout 2010.

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Since 1981, Sunesta Shade Systems has led the American retractable awning industry in technological advances.  We are dedicated to continuing this tradition of engineering excellence in all our products; every component, feature and option is designed with a focus on innovation. For more information about Sunesta Shade Systems, please call 904.268.8000.

As our society becomes increasingly aware of green lifestyle options, such as energy efficient appliances, studies performed by a range of organizations indicate that retractable awnings help reduce a home's overall energy consumption. 

For instance, awnings can reduce air conditioning costs by as much as 25% according to the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association. Also, the American Society of Heating and Air Conditioning maintains that fabric awnings can reduce interior heat gain up to 77%.  Finally, the Department of Energy publication, Cooling Your Home, notes that awnings block up to 90% of solar heat that is absorbed through windows. 

A 2007 study conducted by the Center for Sustainable Building Research at the University of Minnesota concluded that "awnings result in cooling energy savings by reducing direct solar gain through windows." The study compared the energy efficiency of homes with awnings and homes without awnings in 12 cities across the United States.

In cooler climates, the study revealed that homes with window awnings saved an average of 23% on cooling energy costs per year.  In warmer climates, the study showed that homes with window awnings saved an average of 14-20% on cooling energy costs per year.

The study also discovered that homeowners with retractable awnings achieve the lowest energy use by retracting the awnings in winter months and extending them during warmer months.

For more information regarding the energy efficiency of retractable awnings, refer to these websites:

http://www.awninginfo.com/

http://www.energy.gov/insulationairsealing.htm

http://www.ashrae.org/publications/detail/15405

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Since 1981, Sunesta Shade Systems has led the American retractable awning industry in technological advances.  We are dedicated to continuing this tradition of engineering excellence in all our products; every component, feature and option is designed with a focus on innovation. For more information about Sunesta Shade Systems, please call 904.268.8000.