Exterior Shading and Title 24 Performance Credit
Exterior shading earns credit only if it is a permanent exterior device listed on the compliance documents. Each type of screen, louver or awning has an assigned SHGC that is combined with the window's own SHGC, and the CF1R-ENV-03-E worksheet or the compliance software supplies the result. Interior blinds, drapes and trees earn none.
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Two ways to use it
Section 150.1(c)4B lets an exterior operable shading louver or other exterior shading device meet the required maximum SHGC, alone or combined with the glass under item C. The 2022 manual adds that the same combined-SHGC method can be used inside the whole-building performance approach.
Where the number comes from
Insect screens, sunscreens, louvered sunscreens, roller shades, awnings and slats each carry an assigned SHGC, and that value is combined with the SHGC of the glass behind it. The 2022 manual, which the 2025 manual still refers to, explains the combination method, but neither the 2025 Standards nor the 2025 manual repeats a table of device values. Take the figure from the CF1R-ENV-03-E worksheet or from the compliance software, not from memory or a rule of thumb.
The 2022 manual notes that the reference values assume single-pane clear glass in a metal frame, so the worksheet, not mental arithmetic, gives the result. The 2025 forms list CF1R-ENV-03-E as the SHGC worksheet.
Permanent means fixed
Credit requires attachment that is not clips, hooks, latches, snaps or ties. Devices that life-safety codes bar from permanent attachment for emergency egress are exempt from that rule under Section 150.1(c)4E.
Paperwork
When a shade is needed for compliance, it must be listed on the CF1R and shown on the plans, so the plans examiner can see it.
What earns nothing
Draperies, interior blinds and shades are home furnishings and get no credit. Neither does landscaping. The prescriptive SHGC limit itself is applied without regard to insect screens or interior shading, though performance models assume a bug screen by default.
Fixed shading for south windows is on window overhangs. The glass itself is on U-factor vs SHGC and new windows and Title 24; see skylight replacement as well. Our residential reports enter shading devices.
Common Title 24 Questions
- When is Title 24 required for a home?
- Does a remodel need Title 24?
- Does a room addition need Title 24?
- What plans are needed for a residential Title 24 report?
- How much does a residential Title 24 report cost?
- How long does a residential Title 24 report take?
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The manual says draperies, interior blinds and shades are home furnishings and are not credited toward energy compliance.
Not if it attaches with clips, hooks, latches, snaps or ties. Credit requires permanent attachment, except where egress rules prevent it.
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