Window Shades/Tinting

[Chiron]

I have three large west-facing windows in my living room.  The room is vaulted and they are probably 20-25 feet off the ground and not easily accessible, though the outside is accessible from the roof.  These let in a lot of sun/heat in the afternoon (I live in TX) and I need to put either a remote-controlled shade on them or a tinting that will keep out UV rays and heat.  Any suggestions from folks who've dealt with a project like this before?  The windows are each about 24"x 36".

[zolotiyeruki]

I used to live in the Houston area.  I hated our high-e single-paned windows.  Here are a few suggestions:
1) reflective window film/tint.  It's fairly easy to install, and once installed, you'll never notice it again (except for the reduced heat).
2) external shades.  This may be a bit hard for you, given how high the windows are from the ground
3) curtains--get the kind which will reflect the light back outside as much as possible, along with insulating the house.  Or, get white blinds (to reflect the light) with curtains in front (for insulation)

[Joggernot]

My wife and I have done the lower windows in the house with tinting.  Cost was more than expected.  We found that we could do three windows before neither one of us could do anything right in the other's eyes.  So we'd go work off our frustrations with a game of Wii golf or bowling, and then come back and do three more windows.  Worth it to do yourself because the cost of having it done would have added another $1k to the cost.

[zolotiyeruki]

I forgot earlier--Another option is solar screens--they fit on the outside of your windows and are a bit like regular window screens with extra-wide fibers, so they block a larger percentage of the light while still allowing you to see through the windows.

I think the key in any case is to: 1) block the light before it gets to your windows, and 2) of the light which makes it through the windows, reflect as much as possible back outside.