Interesting, I am on the 2nd floor of a 2 floor unit l. I am 99% sure I can not put awnings on the exterior of the window but I’ll double check. I’m almost equally as certain about the trees and being on the 2nd floor I’d have to plant a massive tree. Although there is already some trees near my window but coverage and distance are such that I think the shading provided is minimal. I currently do have a somewhat nice cordless set of shades, a thin almost transparent curtain and a much thicker opaque curtain. I’m not sure about the quality of wall insulation I think average? It was built in1990 and the development isn’t luxurious but in my opinion good. What other energy efficient steps can I take? During most of the day I don’t need to turn on any lights. Yes I am aware the windows will make it darker but I believe it would be fine from what I can judge looking at the window.
The bedrooms for my unit happen to have an extremely high ceiling think about 15 ft or so with title roofing over the bedrooms so I don’t think there is an attic and I think the ceiling height and tile roofing are helping?? As far as heat proofing is the fact that my existing window double pane mean that most of what I can do window wise is already in place? The new windows would essentially have the “tinting” and the Argon gas to add. Not sure but the new windows may seal up much better in winter do that far less cold comes in as my development is on a hill and it get quite cold and windy.
From what you describe, it sounds like you have cathedral ceilings, which are notorious for being under-insulated in built-to-spec condos. In all likelihood that is contributing substantially to your heat-gain during hot summer months.
Mitigating the problem is another matter. If/when the roof needs to be redone you should inquire about insulating below the decking, but with a condo it's likely going to fall under the HOA's responsibility and they might not receptive to the added cost.
First its helpful o know if your cathedral ceiling is vented (most common) or unvented. If there are soffit vents, then it's vented. It's possible to converted a vented ceiling into an air-tight, unvented space without removing the roof by ripping out the drywall and hiring a company to spray foam between the rafters with at least 3" (preferably more). You may not be able to do this with your HOA, and even if you are it involves moving all the furniture out of the room and tearing out the drywall.
It's also worth checking out what the insulation is on your exterior walls, and whether there are any substantial gaps (there often are). A home energy audit will spot these, and are often covered under various state energy efficiency programs. Even if they aren't, the ~$200-300 you spend OOP can be really valuable going forward.
I would NOT spend $4,600 on windows that are currently functional before doing all the other energy efficiency upgrades mentioned above (when possible), all of which are likely to have a bigger impact and generally a smaller price tag.
Oh - and while you dismissed planting trees earlier because they would "cost a fortune" - consider what you are contemplating spending here for windows. On a recent trip to a nursery I noticed I could buy some pretty massive trees (15'+) for $500-999, including local delivery and planting. That might sound ludicrously expensive if you are just thinking about it as a tree, but as a pretty way to minimize heat gain in your home it's far less expensive than new windows, and will be more effective.
