Hi there,

We built an ICF house with 2 slabs and passive solar design. I am looking now in a good solution for blinds/shades/shutters for a tight budget. Please give me some advice. I am not looking for the perfect solution, since I have a limited budget (and lots of thermal mass).
I am concerned that cellular blinds are very expensive. I heard about polywood and bamboo shutters.

Many thanks,
Beno

Insulated curtains are the least expensive option. Google that phrase, plus thermal drapes. I've done business with factorydirectdrapes.com and was quite pleased with it. Some curtain companies claim as much as R7. R2 is more realistic http://utwired.engr.utexas.edu/conservationMyths/heatingCooling/drapeDefense.cfm But R2 is enough to cause condensation problems in some climates. http://www.builditsolar.com/References/Calculators/Window/condensation.html

Roman shades fit tighter to the window, are easier to seal, and still reasonably priced. Google insulated roman.

Finally, there are a number of DIY options here http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Conservation/conservation.htm
Look for window threatments about a third of the way down the page.

I am considering shutters myself. Double bubble wrap and a mylar radiant barrier would give you R3.5 http://listserv.repp.org/pipermail/greenbuilding_listserv.repp.org/2007-October/004684.html With a translucent covering and one-sided mylar, the shutters would also diffuse light on super bright days. To serve the same purpose, consider sheers that could be closed independent of drapes.

If you have good windows, I'd wait to see if convection and condensation are problems.

Just throwing this out there and maybe its just me or the climate we are in but no matter how I tried to seal off a window from the inside we have always had condensation which if left unchecked leads to damage and mold /mildew. The only luck I had were with the shrink inside plastic and a very tight fitting interior screen replacement made with plexy. So for me it means making darn sure you don't have air movement between the house and that new "dead" space you create or you end with lots of condensation. We did try the quilts and even cellular blinds, both were really good a blocking the cold but made tons of condensation between the two.

We are located near Ottawa, Canada. We have Energy Star windows rated for zone C, never had any condensation (except the bath after a shower/tub). More than the R value I am interested in reflecting the Sun light from the window/door that have no overhang. I have no A/C and I'd like to keep it that way.

A simple solution: wet the window and press on a one-sided mylar radiant barrier. http://www.mirrorsheeting.com/ It should stay on until you peel it off in the fall. It's a mirror finish from the street, and see-through from the inside. It would work best on the outside, and I'd try it there first. RV stores sell a tinted version for vehicles, but at a much higher price.

Brock, condensation is exacerbated by high U value windows or high humidity. Your pool?

From their website:
"(the mirror sheeting should not be attached to the window for permanent installation, because the shiney (metallized side) will start to break down after a year or so if you have sweaty windows, you should put it on a roller or leave an air gap) A thick double backed tape works well, attached to the frame of the window , leaving a small air gap between the film and the window, if you don't want to make roller shades. Just put it on the corners, and pull tight to make the film flat. You can see thru the single sided film, and it acts like a one way mirror when you have the sun shining on it from the outside, giving you added privacy."
Do you attach it to the window or to the frame?

What I propose is not a permanent installation. It would be up for four, five months, and then off again. If you leave it on in the winter, passive solar isn't going to work. Moisture shouldn't be a problem in the summer. Ask the website people for advice and share it with us.
A roller shade would be handy but I wonder how much a loose, wavy installation would impair the see-through part. If you want something easier to handle, look at these DIY interior storms. http://builditsolar.com/Projects/Conservation/MylarStorms.htm

Are there any cost effective exterior shutters that can be opened/closed from inside (or automatically)?

Beno, you shouldn't have any problem applying the film directly to the glass over the summer. Also, there are many more inexpensive choices. http://www.amazon.com/CS78-Gila-Control-Static-Window/dp/B000QD9R9Q
You want static cling (no glue) so the film is reusable. You want to apply it to the outside of the window so you aren't overheating your glass.

toddm our inside house temp is usually around 72, my wife won't let me run it cooler for her and the kids and the house is usually between 35-40% humidity, HRV turns on constant when it hits 40% but it usually is cycling. We don't have any condensation issues on any uncovered windows, but if I close the shades and drapes and it's below 10F outside when I open them back up in the morning they will have condensation along the bottom of all the glass that I wipe off. Every other house I go to around here (family and friends) will have the same condensation or worse on exposed windows when it gets 10F or colder.

I still think in any house covering a windows with a quilt or heavy but air permeable layer at 0F and windy will cause condensation on windows.

Maybe I am just oversensitive to condensation on windows because no one else one either side of our family seems to think it is an issue and that it is normal for windows to have condensation on them.