As many Hawaii homeowners can attest to, it’s time to start thinking about window replacement when your old jalousie windows start to leak and fail. Do you use an awning window that will block 50 percent or more ventilation while creating safety hazards sticking out over walkways close to your house? Do you choose a sliding window that blocks your air flow by 50 percent and cannot be left open in the rain?
You are now challenged with a tough choice because changing your jalousies means you will lose the benefits you have grown accustomed to, like full ventilation, safer walk ways, the ability to leave them open in gentle rains and the ability to clean them from inside the home.
Well, there is great news for you! High performance Breezway louvers have all the full ventilation benefits of a jalousie in the open position, taking advantage of passive cooling designs, while having none of the drawbacks of a jalousie window when they’re closed. Breezway louvers seal tight, keeping out wind, water and noise, and also offer security screen and hurricane-protection options. Recently Breezway also added the Stronghold clip system that secures the glass blade internally so it cannot fall out. This is ideal for high-elevation windows and increased security at ground levels.
There is a term used these days by architects and designers when designing a home suitable for Hawaii’s climate: passive cooling. Ironically, it’s not a new idea at all. In fact, Hawaii has been practicing it for generations using jalousie windows, which offer full, whole-house ventilation. The importance of passive cooling is to maintain a cool home without resorting to air conditioning unnecessarily.
Breezway features a newer design approach called “mixed-mode.” Many architects and design firms locally are moving away from fully air conditioning buildings and instead incorporating mixed-mode systems into their design.
“By using our louver windows, the architects are able to achieve all the benefits of using trade winds to passively cool the building,” said Breezway’s Hawaii territory manager Shawn Moseley. This is the first requirement of a mixed-mode system. “Then, when the AC (air conditioning) must be turned on during those very hot days, the louvers seal tight, keeping the cold air in.”
This mixed-mode approach Breezway utilizes on average saves a building more than 43 percent on energy costs when properly designed, and as Moseley pointed out, “increases the indoor air quality, creating a healthier living and working environment.”
BREEZWAY
contact // 484-5999
web // www.breezway.com/hawaii
email // hawaiisales@breezway.com
Photos courtesy of Breezway
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