Energy Cinch curtains aim to save energy

WOODSTOCK COUPLE CREATES PRODUCT

BY MATT SANDERSON

VILLAGER STAFF WRITER

WOODSTOCK — A patent is pending on a potentially monumental energy savings product,

developed right in North Woodstock. 

The Energy Cinch is a low-cost, highly effective window treatment that controls thermal heat, 

which ultimately lowers energy consumption. This custom-made curtain is crafted to fit any 

window in any house, with a reasonable cost range, to fit windows of any size.The potential of 

the Energy Cinch to provide a much greater return of investment on energy bills is quite real, 

says its creator, rather than the more expensive route of replacing all your windows, only to

achieve marginal gains on lower energy costs and consumption.

Chriss Krowchenko, creator of the Energy Cinch, said that when she and her husband Don moved 

to their 7.4-acre property Woodstock in 1995 from California with their two sons, they were more 

than content with the town’s rolling hills and natural woods. They were alsotaken with their home’s 

56 windows, four sliding glass doors and 20-foot-by-60-foot living area with cathedral style ceilings 

on a one level dwelling. In the main room, they were seeking to correct 35 ofthe 56 windows.

Chriss said the previous owners assured them that the storm windows were comfortable in the winter

and that there was a large wood stove for heat. For the first nine years, Chriss said she never felt a

need to cover the windows at all, due to its private setting and openness to the landscape.

“We all got used to bundling up a little more in the winter and using the electric baseboard heat combined

with the wood stove to stay relatively comfortable,” she said.

However, in 2005, the Krowchenkos’ youngest son left for college and Connecticut Light &Power announced 

its plan to increase rates by 17.5 percent by the 2006 new year, with an additional 4.9 percent increase on April 1, 2006.To make things worse, the winter that year wasn’t the prettiest.

Now, the Krowchenkos faced astronomical winter bills and were confronted with an opportunity not to pass up: lowering their energy usage quickly without it costing a fortune.

“The main area I felt cold pockets or air was near the windows,” said Chriss.

After some research, Chriss found those pockets as “thermal holes” that let thermal heat escape in the winter and

allow solar heat gain to occur in the summer. Roughly 30 percent of energy is used to heat or cool a home is lost through windows, she found out.

The Krowchenkos learned about R-Value, the thermal resistance of a material to heat flow. Once Chriss learned of

that, she began brainstorming ways of how to insulate her 35 windows.

She said she tried out a pre-made window treatment, which had fairly low R-Values, ranging from 1.07 (Venetian

blinds) to 3.5 (Roman shades with two layers, plastic retardant and insulating material). However, she said the 

price range for those types of windows were between $200 and $400 per window.

“There had to be something more effective and less expensive,” Chriss said.

She then stumbled upon a multi-layered fabric with an R-Value of 6.39. The manufacturer Chriss talked to told her she

could buy the required fabrics herself instead of going to individual establishments to acquire them.

“My primary goal was to create a highly effective, yet inexpensive insulating barrier for my windows,” 

she said. “They needed to go up quickly without compromising the surrounding window casing or 

adjacent walls. They should be adjustable to let in winter sun when desired. They should store compactly 

when not needed. If I ever decided to put up decorative window treatments, I should be able to use the

insulating barrier in the winter.”

Referring to when need is the primary origin of where some of the best inventions have come from, the

Krowchenkos believe that have solved one of today’s largestissues with homeowners looking to cut back, 

save money on energy costs and move forward with alternative forms of energy for the 21st century.

Hence, the Energy Cinch aims to make an immediate impact.

The four-layers of the Energy Cinch curtain are composed of metalized Mylar with needed air-trapping 

polyester fibers, reflective polyethylene vapor barrier, high-density needled hollow fibers and moisture 

resistant lining.

Proven testing on their product has yielded an R-Value of 7.0-7.6 percent. Having 22 Energy Cinch’s 

installed to their windows that receive the most sunlight, Chriss said when they received their first bill 

two years ago after the first installation, their bloated $850 bill decreased kilowatt usage by 38 percent 

in the first month, and continued in the two digit range the entire winter of 2006.

“You can just start with one room,” said Chriss. “I believe I have a product that can help every single 

homeowner, renter or building owner looking to reduce their heating and cooling bills as much as 30 

percent.”

She said the windows require no bolts and each take less than a minute to install.

“Now, we just need to market it,” she said.

Pricing is determined on the size of the window shade. The Energy

Cinch price range for an average size window (32” x 36”) starts at  $80.00.

Aside from conduction, air leakage and radiation, the Krowchenkos said that convection is a big reason 

why windows lose and gain heat, since warm air always moves cold air. During the winter, heated air is 

drawn toward the cold window glass. Once the air hits the glass, it is immediately cooled and drops to the 

floor. Then, this cool air now requires reheating, rises and is attracted back to the cold window glass. This 

process, which the Energy Cinch controls, is called the “convective loop,” which they say costs homeowners

hundreds of dollars each year.

Chriss said her product seals both the top and the bottom of the window casing and can be tautly adjusted to keep the sides in place, touching either side of the window casing. Essentially, the Energy Cinch stops the convective loop.

The Krowchenkos said they have already marketed their product to Amazon.com, Ebay.com, Sears and about 10 other energy product Web sites.

Chriss added that they are hoping to gain approval at the state and federal level and receive grants, loans and possible stimulus funding from President Barack Obama’s economic recovery package to continue the mass production of the Energy Cinch.

John Flack, a neighbor of the Krowchenkos’, said his family has been using the Energy Cinch on a small scale in a

drafty computer room of their house for the last two years. He said their energy issue isn’t as dire as the Krowchenkos’ because his house is well shaded, but the one room that needed improvement faces north and south, and is well exposed.

“I have it on all the windows in one room, six windows total,” he said. “It makes the room more useful for us now.

Since daylight is shorter in the winter, we get probably a full 12 hours of insulation. It’s well designed.”

Flack said he and his wife used to work in the textile industry and were impressed with how the Krowchenkos sought

out the unique combination of materials for the Energy Cinch, mostly from sewing factories.

“We could definitely see a noticeable difference,” he added. “Since we’ve put it in, it’s probably 5 to 7 degrees warmer [in the winter] than what it was.We don’t need to adjust the thermostat.”

State Sen. Tony Guglielmo (R-Stafford) was contacted by the Krowchenkos and met with them yesterday, Thursday,

Aug. 27, to learn more about the Energy Cinch.

“It’s pretty interesting,” he said. “They have contacts with the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. Maybe I can

help them through the bureaucratic process.”

For more information, visit www.energycinch.com, or

send an e-mail to information@energycinch.com. The

Krowchenkos can be reached at (860) 974-8728.