The Best Energy Efficient windows keep your home warm in winter & cool in summer.
Energy efficient vinyl windows break down into basic components.
All windows consist of a frame, glass insulating system, seal system, and components like cam locks, rollers, etc. For the best energy efficient windows, it is crucial to pay particular attention to the quality of the glass. Low E366 glass is very helpful to keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Vinyl frames add insulating value to the frame surrounding the glass further increasing the windows performance.
Seals, both between the panes of the glass and the actual weatherstripping round out the performance package. To be an energy efficient window, attention must be paid to each detail. Component parts are also an indicator of the manufacturer's attention to detail. Details like stainless rollers, high quality locks,durable screen systems, covered weep holes, and quality weatherstripping are but a few things to look for.
Energy efficiency and windows - An Experts Opinion
Joe Marino is a window specialist who is very technical by nature. When you combine decades of window experience with his attention to detail, you get a person that can offer great insights into what actually makes a window energy efficient. We have called upon Joe to help with our window sections on Low E glass, super spacers, window ratings, and more.
The glass or glazing system is very important. To get the best energy efficient windows, there are three fundamental approaches to improving the energy performance of glass systems (two or more of these approaches may be combined). The first approach is to alter the glazing material itself by changing its chemical composition or physical characteristics. An example of this is tinted glazing. The second approach is to apply a coating to the glazing material surface.
What makes for an energy efficient window
Reflective coatings and films were developed to reduce heat gain and glare, and more recently, low-emittance coatings have been developed to improve both heating and cooling season performance. Low E glass has provided amazing improvements in energy efficiency. Cardinal Glass is a major supplier of very high performance Low E2 glass that has very high energy performance without the look of a tinted window. The third approach is to assemble various layers of glazing and control the properties of the spaces between the layers.
The best energy efficient windows use these strategies: These include the use of two or more panes or films, low-conductance gas fills between the layers, and thermally improved edge spacers. Our best windows employ a combination of these techniques. High performance double panes tend to be our most popular product today with triple panes a small percentage. But as energy prices continue to rise, the triple pane systems may begin to look more and more attractive.
The window frame can be 25% of the total opening area, and it is therefore very important that it be a good insulator. Aluminum is totally unacceptable as it transfers 1416 btu's of heat per hour as opposed to vinyl at 1.3 btu's/hr. The spacer and sealing system is an important element of good energy efficient window design. The material the spacer is made from affects the rate that heat travels through a window's edge. Aluminum in the spacer system provides a heat conduit leading to energy loss and condensation around the perimeter of the glass. Some window makers now offer warm edge spacers as standard fare on their premium lines.
The best energy efficient windows use less conductive materials such as foam and rubber. Some companies employ a double sealing technique whereby the foam seal is used to provide the highest insulating value and then a secondary rubber or polymer sealant is applied over that to prevent gas escaping and seals from breaking. Warm edge spacers can improve the U-value of a replacement window by 10% and boost the edge temperature, thereby reducing condensation.
Ask us about our WeatherProTM series of energy efficient windows and find out why we have the best replacement window in the pacific Northwest. WeatherProTM is a custom built high end energy efficient window made in the U.S.A.
