How heat efficient windows can radically reduce your monthly energy bills
Reducing monthly energy bills
When you want to reduce your home's monthly energy bill, regain the use of that sun-blasted room, or protect your expensive furniture from fading, it's not enough to simply have double pane windows. A sports car and an RV will both get you from point A to point B, but the sports car is clearly the more high performance vehicle. The same applies to windows - not all double pane windows are equal. There can be a an enormous performance difference between a basic double pane window and a window customized with the latest advances in energy efficiency.
It’s not intimidating
For most homeowners, however, the array of acronyms and window jargon like "Low-e," "Argon" and others can be bewildering. Naturally, you wonder if they really work. Are they worth the extra expense? Do they actually make a difference? Well, we're here to break it all down for you.
What is Low-E?
Low-emittance (low-E) coatings are microscopic, virtually transparent, metallic oxide layers deposited on an inner window pane surface in order to reduce the U-factor by suppressing radiative heat flow. This metallic coating reduces radiant heat transfer, impeding the total heat flow through a window (both in and out). In layman terms, Low-e coatings work by reflecting heat back to its source. So during the winter, Low-e works to reflect heat back into the home, while in summer it works to reflect the heat back towards the sun. Not all Low-e coatings are the same however - some are "tuned" to be more directional, some have three layer coatings rather than two (making them stronger), etc.
Argon or Krypton Gas
Double-paned windows insulate better than a single pane of glass because they trap a dry air between two panes of glass, thus reducing heat transfer. The average, normal double pane window just has plain (but very dry) air between the two sealed panes of glass. Argon and Krypton are colorless, odorless, nontoxic and nonreactive gases that are used to make double paned windows even more energy efficient. Argon and Krypon gases work because they are less conductive than plain air and thus improve the insulating ability of a double paned window
Triple Pane Windows
Triple pane windows are just like double paned windows, but with an extra pocket of dry air (or Argon) created by a third pane of glass. They are certainly better insulating than double-paned units, but they are also heavier, more expensive and require thicker frames due to the extra width of the third pane of glass. Triple Pane windows are typically only used in very cold winter locations. The good news: It's possible to get Triple Pane performance in a double pane window unit by utilizing Dual Low-e Technology! See the chart below.
UV Protection for Fading Furniture
UV Fading can only be reduced, never eliminated entirely, so beware claims of total fade protection. Here's why: Only 50% of fading is caused by UV light. Visible light your eyes can see is responsible for approximately 20%, while simple heat itself accounts for another 20 percent. This is why museums protect their most vulnerable artifacts in dark, climate controlled environments and do not allow flash photography. You cannot stop fading, you can only slow it by reducing the three factors that cause it. A high quality Low-e in your windows is your best defense! Ask us how.
Here's a breakdown of window performance from the regular, plain jane windows to the super powered high performers.
* The ISO calculation measures fading perception from solar radiation across the entire solar light spectrum, from ultraviolet (UV) through Infrared (heat) to visible light.
** Best value for the money: best energy performance to cost ratio. Available in new windows as well as glass replacement in existing window frames. Dual Low-e Technology!
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