[Calgary14]

With the weather heating up I noticed in the last week our house is starting to get a bit warmer. In the summer it can get quite hot and not sure how to keep it cool - any suggestions appreciated.

The house faces the east and has a west facing backyard. There are no houses behind it, only a big green space. We get tons of sun. There are three large windows at the back looking out onto the backyard. This is where the sun shines in during the day.

It's a new home, just over a year old. We have the honeycomb style cellular shades that are off-white. They are installed in the window pane itself and cover the entire window. Even if they're closed all day it still heats up. Evenings are the worst as the house gets full sun all day (on a hot sunny day).

Before I invest in curtains or window coverings I want to be sure it will actually make a difference. I've thought about a portable AC unit but it would have to be big as the main floor (where all the windows are and the living room) is about 800 sq ft. Central air would likely be about $3k. Aside from AC or curtains not sure what to do. Any suggestions appreciated