What are the best window options for maximizing energy efficiency?
Your windows contribute a lot of energy loss from your home. About 40% of the annual heating and cooling costs result from the energy lost through windows, particularly the damaged and drafty windows.
But the good thing is you can still improve your home’s energy efficiency by choosing the right type of windows to install. Alternatively, you could still make your existing windows energy-efficient and enjoy their many benefits! Energy-efficient windows not only make your home comfortable throughout the year but also help you cut costs.
In this post, we shall carefully discuss the best window options to maximize energy efficiency and how you can make your old windows highly efficient.
Best window options to maximize energy efficiency
If you’re looking to capitalize on energy efficiency at home, it’s best to consider energy-efficient windows having two or more glass panes. On top of that, they should have a frame surrounding them. The preferred material for the frame should be wood, PVC, or any other material, which is a bad conductor of heat.
Some of the best energy-efficient window options with these qualities include:
- Double-glazed windows- These have two sheets of glass and a 16mm gap between them filled with air or inert gas.
- Triple-glazed windows- They have three sheets of glass and two holes.
- Casement windows- They are the most energy-efficient style of windows available. These windows are easy to open, unlike most other designs that stay closed. Also, casement windows offer a high energy efficiency thanks to their design and the strong seals on all four sides.
How will you maximize energy efficiency for your windows?
You have many ways to maximize energy efficiency for your windows to cut your utility costs and keep your home comfortable. Some of the ways to do that include:
1. Installing form filled frames
Having form-filled boundaries and adding sashes minimizes the thermal conduction of the frame. Be sure to ask your window manufacturer to offer you foam-filled frames and sash extrusions that make your window more energy efficient.
2. Using the right type of glass
Some types of glass are better at preventing heat transfer than others. So select a glass that minimizes thermal transfer to ensure your window is energy-efficient. Some of the best glasses include;
- Solabran 70XL window glass
- Super Spacer window glass
- Energy saver R-5 window glass
- Double pane Extreme LOW-E window glass
- Ultimate triple-pane glass
3. Good installation
You have to get the installation right if you want your home to be completely energy-efficient. Even if your windows are energy-efficient, they will still leak air and be useless if you install them ineffectively. So only look for a reputable home contractor to install your windows.
4. Having low emissivity glass coating
Installing windows with low emissivity glass coating will help reflect heat and maintain the interior cooling effect during the hot summer periods. In winter, it reflects the cold temperatures from outside and maintains warm indoor temperatures.
Besides regulating the temperature in your home, low emissivity coats block UV rays that can fade your soft home furnishings like curtains, carpets, sofa, and drapes.
5. Multiple panes of glass
Double pane glass provides your windows with inert gas insulation, which is twice as effective as single-pane windows.
Triple pane glass, on the other, is an even better insulator than double plane glass. They offer you more insulation, reduce the U factor of your window, and improve the general efficiency of your windows.
6. Energy-star certified replacement windows
Using energy-efficient windows that are certified to meet ENERGY STAR® guidelines will likely cut your energy bills.
Make your windows energy-efficient without replacing them
If you have an old home where most windows are not energy-efficient, you can still make the windows energy-efficient without replacing them. Below are a few ways to go about it:
- Installing double glazing. This type of window has two layers of glass separated by a layer of air, which prevents thermal transfer. You can add a layer of glass to your current window to make it double glazing.
- Upgrading the window frames, which is cheaper compared to replacing the entire window.
- Installing window film makes your windows to be energy efficient. Window films add an extra layer to the window, which minimizes the effects of conduction and convection.
- Seal the gaps between the windows and walls to prevent heat transfer.
- Buy upgraded window coverings to help in blocking the drafts and maintaining a comfortable home.
Importance of energy-efficient windows
Installing energy windows has innumerable benefits not just to your home but also to the environment at large. Some of these benefits include:
Save you money
If your window is energy efficient, the air conditioner won’t be overworked. This means you’ll reduce its maintenance and operational cost, which ultimately saves you money.
Saving the planet
With energy-efficient windows, you use less power for warming and cooling and reduce your carbon footprint.
Bring more comfort to your home
Energy-efficient windows will make your home maintain constant indoor temperature, making the stay comfortable. They also prevent conditioned air from escaping the house and reduce heat transfer in both directions.
ARE YOU READY TO MAXIMIZE ENERGY EFFICIENCY?
To ascertain if your windows are energy efficient, compare the temperature from some other part of the room to that of the windows. If the measurements differ, then the windows are leaking and should be fixed.
If you’re looking to install energy-efficient windows and make your home comfortable, this guide will help you pick the right window for your home.
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