wotimes.com

Upon moving from California to Winter Garden 11 years ago, SunBlox founder Keith Freeman was amazed to find that nobody had ever heard of window sun screens in the Sunshine State.

Solar screens, he said, have been prevalent for years in other sun-drenched states like California, Arizona and Texas. Freeman wanted to install the sun-blocking screen at his new Winter Garden home but couldn't find anyone to provide that service.

Four years ago, Freeman decided the local market was ripe for window sun screens and he started SunBlox, which he ran out of his garage for the first year. A strong believer in the product, Simon Fairbrother joined Freeman as co-owner of SunBlox last year, and the pair now run the business out of their Ocoee office.

SunBlox fabricates and sells vinyl-coated screens that are custom designed and fitted to cover windows. The screens block sunlight before it hits the window and enters the home or building. By blocking up to 90 percent of the sun's UV rays, sun screens can reduce room temperatures by as much as 20 degrees and provide savings of up to 25-30 percent on summer electric cooling bills.

The screens also provide privacy by creating a tinted appearance from outside, while still allowing a clear view from indoors.

"The key to our product is that it blocks the sun before it hits the glass," Freeman said. "Once the sun hits the glass, it's too late and you're going to get solar heat gain."

Sun rays hitting glass will produce about 230 BTUs per square foot of glass, Freeman added. SunBlox offers a variety of screens that can block out 70, 80 or 90 percent of the sun's UV rays.

In addition to saving money by reducing the strain on air-conditioning systems, sun screens result in another financial bonus for home and business owners - Progress Energy now offers rebates for properties fitted with the energy-saving screens.

Freeman and Fairbrother agreed the biggest obstacle SunBlox has to overcome is educating the public about their product. The two recently promoted their company to thousands who attended the Home and Garden Show at the Orange County Convention Center.

Many people in Central Florida, Freeman said, have the perception that triple-glazed window panes costing thousands of dollars are the best solution for keeping out the sun's heat.

At $7.50 per square foot or $150 for the average-size window, SunBlox sun screens, Freeman said, are a superior product at a much lower price.

SunBlox will tailor and install its sun screens for residences and multi-story office and commercial buildings throughout Central Florida. Freeman and Fairbrother met with officials from the governor's office last month about possibly providing their sun screens for state buildings. The company is also targeting resorts, medical facilities and municipal institutions as potential customers for SunBlox sun screens.

Freeman and Fairbrother are members of the Florida Green Building Coalition, the Global Green Alliance, Energy Star Partners and the West Orange Chamber of Commerce.