Awnings: Time to Bring Them Back

After Gutenberg shows the building on the right, with sunshades made of photovoltaic panels. He notes that "shading can generate electricity while reducing solar heating in the summer, which cuts cooling loads and glare. To reduce cost, such shading makes use of thin film, photo voltaic laminate systems."::After Gutenberg

Emily Lloyd of Columbia University notes that awnings used to be common in New York. "Canvas awnings enjoyed widespread use in the days before air conditioning. They were found on many residential buildings on the east, west, and south facades to shade the apartments from the sun. The armature was almost always retractable. The material was canvas, available in many colors, and frequently striped. Only a few buildings have any surviving awnings. Others have traces of awning hardware still visible." ::Framework for Planning

What could be more logical? Instead of paying to cool, why not keep the heat out in the first place? And make it modern by covering it with solar panels, controlling the sun and generating electricity at the same time. Time to bring back the awning.