How can I block off scorching sunlight from coming through my windows?

Question

Somehow, the window of my room faces directly at the scorching beams of the sun all year long. The local weather here is humid, and the heat from the sun coming in from the windows makes the room almost unbearable to live in during mid-afternoons.

I could roll down the blinds, shut the windows and turn up the fans, but the heat still gets radiated through the walls into the room. And rolling down the blinds and closing the windows make the room dark and stuffy. The heat is really bad, so bad that often, low-quality rubbery textured materials in my room could sometimes feel sticky, like they were turning molten under the influence of the intense room temperature.

What are some techniques people use in their rooms to shade windows from scotching sunlight and to keep the room temperature cool without turning on an air-conditional the whole day?

Answer 1

First, try to prevent the sun from hitting the building in the first place. Shade trees, large overhangs, louvers can all do this. There may be micro louver screens available that appear to be heavy duty insect screens but are actually very small louvers. You can easily see through the louvers, but they prevent the sun from hitting the glass.

Second, reduce the impact of what sun does hit the building by reflecting it away. Transparent reflective film on the window and light colored wall finish will work for this measure.

Third, reduce conducted heat. Insulate the wall so the hot outer surface cannot easily heat the inner surface. Use dual glazing the same way, the hot outer pane cannot easily heat the inner pane.

Fourth, prevent the hot inner surfaces from heating the room's air. Typically drapery or similar treatments. Not just the window, the wall too. Even sheer drapes you can see through are better than nothing. They trap air between the glass and the fabric, creating additional insulating value to keep the heat out of the room, and reduce the transmitted light that would have further heated the room interior.

I've covered how to reduce heat gain through the various modes of how it gets into the room, but I've only scratched the surface of ways to do this. Be creative. Figure out ways to achieve what I've outlined with materials that are readily available to you.