I was delighted to learn yesterday of a new cooling technology for English homes. Followers of this account will know that I have long been interested in awnings. Awnings work by blocking sunlight before it passes through the window, averting greenhouse effects. Awnings are not as effective as external shutters, but they are far more effective than closing your curtains. On a day like today, they could easily reduce room temperature by 4 degrees celsius, and unlike shutters they do not block the view. They are quite common in France. The downsides are that they are expensive (over £1000 per awning) and that you are left with an awning pelmet blocking the top of your window for the rest of the year. They also involve drilling into walls, so landlords or conservation area officials might not allow them. I was walking through Canonbury yesterday when I noticed something new: an awning clipped onto the uppermost sash rail. Investigation revealed that this seemingly obvious device is in fact a completely new invention by a North Londoner called Aimée Daniels, who has set up a small business called Shaded to sell them. Shaded awnings: - Cost lest than a tenth of regular drilled awnings; - Look almost indistinguishable and work just as well; - Can simply be lifted off for the nine months of the year when we don't need them; - And do no damage at all to fabric, so are fine for renters, conservation areas and listed buildings. It seems to me that there are literally millions of people who ought to buy these as soon as possible. In fact it is astonishing that nobody thought of them before. Gratifyingly but also frustratingly, Shaded is currently sold out of every model. I recommend joining the waiting list. I will be getting a complete suite for every south-, west- and east-facing window!