This enhances human comfort and creates an illusion of efficiency when, in fact, the load on the air conditioner has not been altered. All windows are not created equal. The orientation or direction a window faces determines the daily access that sunlight has to that window s surface. North windows never experience direct sunlight, so north windows do not require shading devices or tint. One should observe south windows carefully to determine their need for tint or shading devices.
Windows facing east or west are the main source of intrusive heat.
Unshaded and without tint, east and west windows experience many hours of direct sunlight daily. Skylights allow the greatest solar heat gain in a Southwest Florida home. Because they are horizontal, skylights experience many more hours of direct sunlight than any vertical window. It is also difficult to incorporate a shading device or to landscape for shade on a rooftop. Skylights should be avoided, if possible.