Window & Door Articles
Save Money on Utility Bills with Energy Efficient Window
All over the country there is a wave of increasing utility bills, caused by higher oil prices, inflation, drought and the increased demand of energy. Whatever the reason for the increase, it is affecting us all. Knowing this, saving money by conserving energy is a smart investment. One way to conserve is to replace your windows with energy saving windows.
Energy saving windows have certain features that are made to reduce energy waste in one way or another. These features include; multiple glazing, thickness of air space, Gas filled, Tinted glass, Low-e, and edge spacers. Any of these features will affect the energy performance rating, which is displayed on the window when you purchase it.
The energy rating sticker is divided into three sections; the first section shows the manufacturer, materials the window is made out of and the product type. The second section is the actual energy ratings; this is divided into two categories, U-Factor and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient. The U-Factor is the amount of heat that moves through the window in a one hour period. The lower the U-Factor, the better the window insulates the house. Solar heat gain coefficient measures the amount of heat from the sun that passes through the window. The higher the number, the more heat is allowed in. So if you live in a colder climate, you want this number to be high. If you live in a warm climate, you want to find windows where this measure is low. The third section shows additional performance, including visible transmittance and air leakage. These numbers tell you how much air leaks past the windows edge, so you will want to find windows with lower number here. I will explain a few styles of energy saving windows:
- Multiple glazing uses more than one layer of glass or other materials in a window. The thickness in multiple layered windows will affect the insulating factor of the window.
- Gas filled windows are just as they sound, multiple layers are filled with a gas (usually Krypton or Argon gas) to help with insulation.
- Low-e glass is a glass coated with transparent coatings of silver or tin oxide, this allows light to come through but blocks heat from passing through.
- High quality edge spacers will prevent air leakage.
Replacing your old windows with energy saving windows will insulate your home 4 times more than your old windows you have now, this will save you money and our environment in the long run. Choosing the right window can be confusing and your energy-saving window contractor can help you find the right choice of windows for you.
