What Solar Shades Cost in Kelowna (2026 Pricing Guide)
A west facing living room in Kelowna is a genuinely difficult room to keep comfortable. From late June through August the afternoon sun comes in low and hard off the lake, and a room that is pleasant at noon can be unusable at four o'clock. Solar shades are the most common fix. This guide covers what they cost in Kelowna in 2026, what openness factor actually means, and where the money is worth spending.
Kelowna solar shade prices in 2026
Prices below are supplied and installed, per window.
Standard window, roughly 36 x 60 inches
- Manual chain operated solar shade: roughly $250 to $500
- Cordless or spring roller: roughly $300 to $600
- Motorized, battery powered: roughly $600 to $1,000
- Motorized, hardwired: roughly $750 to $1,300
Large window or patio slider, roughly 72 x 84 inches
- Manual: roughly $450 to $850
- Motorized battery: roughly $900 to $1,600
- Motorized hardwired: roughly $1,100 to $2,000
Very wide spans over about 10 feet usually need to be split into two shades on one headrail, or move to a heavier duty motor and tube. Expect $1,500 to $3,000 plus per opening.
Whole room, four to six windows, mixed manual and motorized: commonly $2,500 to $7,000.
Whole home, fifteen to twenty five windows: commonly $8,000 to $25,000 depending on how many are motorized.
Add ons that change the number: side channels or cassettes to block light leakage at the edges, fascia to hide the roller, dual roller systems that combine a solar shade and a blackout shade on one bracket, and integration with a home automation system.
Exterior shading is a separate category worth knowing about because it is far more effective at heat control. A retractable awning over a Kelowna patio typically runs $3,500 to $12,000 depending on width, projection and whether it is motorized with a wind sensor. Retractable screens for a patio or large opening typically run $1,500 to $6,000.
Openness factor: the number that actually matters
Solar shade fabric is rated by openness, which is the percentage of the fabric that is open weave. This is the single decision that determines whether you will be happy.
- 1 to 3 percent openness. Maximum glare and heat control, most privacy, least view. Good for a room with a screen or a west facing wall where you mostly want the sun gone.
- 5 percent openness. The common compromise. Cuts most glare while keeping a usable view out.
- 10 percent openness. Keeps the view largely intact, cuts noticeably less heat and glare. Popular for lake views where the whole point of the window is the view.
- 14 percent and above. Mostly a glare softener rather than a heat control product.
Two things people are routinely surprised by. First, solar shades give you daytime privacy but not night time privacy. When it is dark outside and lit inside, the effect reverses and people can see in. If night privacy matters, you want a dual roller or a separate blackout shade. Second, a darker fabric gives you a better view out and better glare control, while a lighter fabric reflects more heat but produces more haze in the view.
The Kelowna specific advice
Interior shades manage glare. Exterior shading manages heat. Once sunlight has passed through the glass, the heat is already in the room. An interior solar shade absorbs and re radiates some of it. An exterior awning, screen or shade stops it before it gets in, and is dramatically more effective on a hot Okanagan afternoon. If your problem is that the room is too bright, interior shades solve it. If your problem is that the room is 30 degrees at 5pm, look at exterior options first.
Prioritize by orientation. West and south facing windows do almost all the damage here. North facing windows rarely need solar shades at all. Spending your budget on the two or three worst windows usually beats spreading it thin across the whole house.
Motorization is worth it in specific places. High windows, windows above a stairwell, windows behind furniture, and any window you would otherwise never bother adjusting. For a window you walk past ten times a day, manual is fine and saves several hundred dollars.
Fade protection is a real benefit here. Okanagan UV is hard on hardwood floors, furniture and artwork. Solar shade fabrics block a large share of UV even at higher openness factors, which is a reason to shade a window even in a room where heat is not the complaint.
What to ask before you buy
- What openness factor are you quoting, and can I see a sample in my actual window? Fabric looks completely different in a showroom than in a west facing Kelowna room at 4pm. Insist on a sample at home.
- Inside mount or outside mount? Inside mount looks cleaner and leaves light gaps at the edges. Outside mount blocks more light. On heat control, outside mount with side channels performs better.
- Battery or hardwired, and what is the battery life? Battery motors typically need charging once or twice a year. Hardwiring at renovation time is much cheaper than retrofitting later.
- What is the warranty on fabric, hardware and motor? These are often three different terms.
- Who measures? Professional measuring is the difference between a shade that fits and a shade that is wrong by a quarter inch. If the supplier measures, fit is their responsibility.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an order take?
Custom shades are typically two to five weeks from measure to install, and installation of a room's worth is usually a single visit of a few hours.
Do solar shades really lower the temperature?
Interior solar shades meaningfully reduce glare and radiant heat on skin, and cut some heat gain. Exterior shading cuts far more. Neither replaces air conditioning on a 38 degree day, but both reduce how hard it works.
Are they good for a home office?
Yes, this is one of the strongest use cases. A 3 to 5 percent openness shade on a west window removes screen glare without making the room dark.
What about skylights?
Skylights are a major heat source in Okanagan summers and can be fitted with their own shades, or addressed with tubular daylighting products that bring in light without the same heat load.
Getting a Kelowna quote
View Solar Centre on the Okanagan Trade Directory
Solar Centre is a Kelowna based daylighting and shade specialist serving the Okanagan since 2004. A Solatube Premier Dealer and Somfy Expert Dealer, the locally owned shop installs Solatube tubular skylights and Solar Star attic fans, plus a portfolio of STOBAG retractable awnings, Mirage retractable screens and Graber and Maxxmar motorized window fashions. It is located at 16-1771 Cooper Rd and holds a 5.0 Google rating across 50 reviews. Despite the name, Solar Centre is not a photovoltaic solar electricity contractor. It specializes in sunlight management, daylighting and outdoor shade.