Vertical shade is a system of supports and vines that intercept afternoon Sun

on west facing walls and windows.  The photos below are of an apartment where I stayed in Richardson TX.  On sunny summer afternoons the temperature in the apartment was usually in the low 80’s with the a/c running constantly. I would never open the blinds until after sunset. The large window and glass patio door were very efficient solar collectors. After my second summer the hedge below my balcony died out and I noticed a couple of volunteer vines were growing there.  One was a wild muscadine and the other was possibly an Ampeolopsis.  I trained them on nylon string.  They reached the railing of my balcony the first year and the second year I had dense shade.  After the vines shaded the window and door the a/c would cycle on and off at 75 degrees with the blinds open and a wonderful green light filling the apartment

This is late July of the second year.

What a relief to cover that glass. The brick wall was normally in the 130 degree range by sundown in summer

This is winter after the second summer.

This is the beginning of the second summer

From the inside in early summer.

Winter sunshine is good.

But just imagine the many thousands of west facing apartments with their

a/c running flat out  to counter the

summer afternoon sunshine. 

That is a lot of kilowatts that could be saved with GreenShade.