The decision to install energy efficient windows has become more pressing than ever, especially now that many people are becoming more aware of their energy consumption’s economic and environmental consequences. With recent research indicating that residential buildings account for approximately 20% of total energy use and carbon dioxide emissions worldwide and that heating and cooling account for the majority of energy use in single-family homes, users understand that upgrading their windows could have a significant impact on the operational efficiency of their home.
What Exactly Are Energy-Efficient Windows?
Energy-efficient windows are a twenty-first-century technical innovation. They are a modern house enhancement and a major improvement over standard windows. Also, these windows are built with energy-saving features in mind. If your current windows are leaking heat or raising your cooling expenditures daily, you should install energy efficient windows to help save money on your energy bill.
Windows that can offer enough insulation are said to be energy efficient. Check the U-factor of each product while shopping for windows. The U-factor measures the rate of non-solar heat loss or gains via the window. Low U-factor windows are the most desirable since they provide the finest insulation and are the most energy efficient.
When evaluating window replacement options, remember that the U-factor might relate to the energy efficiency of only the glass or the entire window—including the frame material and spacers. Most manufacturers now provide windows with a special Low-E coating on the glass to improve energy efficiency. Many frames and spacers, however, are inefficient and have a high U-factor.
What Is the Function of Energy-Efficient Windows?
Traditional windows do not provide as effective a barrier to heat movement as energy-efficient windows. Traditional or single-glazed windows were utilized in earlier homes. While they are still available on the market and in older homes, most new windows are energy-efficient, multiple-glazed windows to help prevent heat transmission.
To further understand how energy-efficient windows really work, consider the heat transfer process:
Heat is transported through the window via conduction. This means that the heat generated by your HVAC system is immediately wasted via cold, inefficient window glass and window frames in the winter.
Warm air is cooled as it comes into touch with a cold windowpane, and the cold air falls while more warm air from your house rises to replace it.
This causes a cycle of rising warm air and sinking cool air in your home, resulting in a cold draft. In the summer, the heat flow reverses, sending heat into your house and warming the air that your HVAC system has cooled.
What Makes An Energy-Efficient Window?
It becomes more energy-efficient when a window insulates your home against the flow of heat, cold, and wind. When evaluating the effectiveness of a window, you’ll come across various standard ratings.
1. The U-Factor
This is the rate at which heat is transferred through the panes. A lower U-Factor means that the window is less susceptible to heat transfer and hence more energy-efficient.
2. Transmission Of Visible Light
This is the quantity of light that enters the room through the window. Natural light reduces the demand for electric illumination.
3. Efficient Solar Heat Gain
This displays how much of the sun’s warm rays pass through the window. A lower value indicates that the window transfers less heat.
4. Pressure For Structural Design
This is the maximum amount of wind pressure that a window can withstand. The higher the rating, the better the wind resistance.
5. Rating For Energy Star®
An ENERGY STAR rating, developed by the US Department of Energy and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, indicates how well a product compares to others in terms of energy efficiency. To receive an ENERGY STAR certification, a window must outperform 75% or more of its counterparts in terms of energy savings.
What Types Of Windows Should I Choose?
If you reside in a colder region, you should choose gas-filled windows with Low-E coatings. It will assist you in reducing heat loss. If you live in a hot region, however, you should choose windows with a coating. You should also select a low U-factor window for enhanced thermal resistance in colder climes. To save energy in both hot and cold areas, install energy efficient windows with low SHGCs and low U-factors.
Why Should You Install Energy-Efficient Windows For Your Home?
Energy-efficient windows will save you money in the long run. Making your house more energy efficient is a new window advantage that is high on the desire list of most people! Furthermore, 40% of the average household’s energy budget goes toward heating and cooling, so you don’t want that energy fleeing through your windows.
Energy-efficient windows conserve energy by utilizing a unique glass coating, a new window spacer system, and sophisticated technologies. The following are some of the practical reasons to install energy efficient windows:
1. Increase Your Energy Efficiency
Energy-efficient doors and windows, as the name suggests, may help you save money on energy. These windows offer insulating capabilities, so they help make your home pleasant in the winter and summer. Furthermore, because the inside temperature is continually changing, you won’t have to rely on your heating or air conditioning systems as much. Lowering your energy use means using less fuel, making your home more environmentally friendly.
2. UV Ray Protection for Your Home
Regular windows let in more sunshine and do not adequately shield you from the hazards of UV radiation. Furthermore, UV rays are known to harm wood, textiles, and furniture and are more problematic for light-sensitive people. Many energy-saving windows include a unique coating that blocks or decreases UV radiation. The coating may filter up to 98% of UV radiation, preventing fading and degradation in your house.
3. Decrease Condensation
Condensation may be a major issue, particularly in spaces with high moisture levels. Kitchens and bathrooms are frequently the worst offenders when it comes to moisture. Moisture vaporizes in the air prior to condensing on cold glass, resulting in water streaks and puddles. Furthermore, the increased amount of water can lead to mildew growth, which can cause harm to your home and property.
Condensation in your house may be considerably reduced by installing energy-efficient windows. The insulation that helps maintain room temperature keeps the surface above the moisture-attracting threshold. Humidity, on the other hand, is inescapable, and it is best to utilize fans or dehumidifiers to help reduce humidity levels.
4. Provide a Return on Investment (ROI) By Reselling
Replacing outdated windows can provide a measurable return on investment (ROI) both in the short and long term. Suppose you want to stay in your current home for many years. In that case, the expense of installing new energy-efficient windows that last for decades and come with a premium guarantee that will be repaid over time is offset by energy bill savings and minimal maintenance and repair costs. Furthermore, energy-efficient window replacement is regarded as one of the top five profitable home renovation tasks.
Changing out your old windows for new vinyl or wood replacement windows can provide a 95% return on investment (ROI). Furthermore, if you want to sell your home, install energy efficient windows to boost its value and help it sell faster.
5. Noise Reduction
Do you live in a congested area? Every day, millions of homes are forced to listen to constant traffic noise. However, if you truly want to feel at ease in your own house, you should consider adding energy-efficient windows. The majority of individuals are unaware that they have soundproofing capabilities. Furthermore, this is the greatest alternative if you live in a city because traffic noise is constantly annoying.
6. Eligibility for Energy Reductions and Tax Breaks
New window installations are expensive. Even though the high initial cost is a big deterrent, homeowners may benefit from efficient energy alternatives. However, many local and regional organizations provide rebates and credits to help cover the installation cost.
7. Requires Less Upkeep
This is a significant selling factor if you ever want to sell your property. Furthermore, many individuals would like to live in a low-maintenance home since it eliminates the need for continual care. Furthermore, because of energy transmission, these windows have less condensation. In other words, mildew will be less of a concern because there will be less condensation.
8. Improve the Comfort of Your Home
Homes are supposed to be cozy. In the winter, you want to wear only a few layers of clothes to be warm in your home. Since the windows allow the temperature in your house to be better adjusted, energy-efficient windows provide the advantage of keeping your home pleasant day and night. Furthermore, you will not have to rely as much on your heat or air conditioner to maintain a steady air temperature. Instead, the windows can assist you in attaining this degree of comfort on your own.
9. Simpler Cleaning
While energy-efficient windows minimize condensation and watermarks, all windows require cleaning regularly. On the other hand, new choices make cleaning less of a burden than single-pane windows.
Energy-efficient windows, such as double-hung models, swing down from their rails, making it easier to access the outside surface. With innovative designs, you spend less time balancing on the ladder and more time admiring clean windows.
10. Environmentally Friendly
Replacement windows offer more than only saving heating and cooling costs. The environment benefits when your heater and air conditioner run less and more efficiently in your house.
According to Energy Star, operating heaters and air conditioners less often save hundreds of pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.
Replacing your windows with energy-efficient versions helps you save money while preserving and protecting the environment.
DIY vs. Professional Installation of Energy-Efficient Windows
A very handy homeowner can complete a window replacement project, but it’s usually advisable to engage a local window company to install energy efficient windows in your home. Attempting to DIY the process without the necessary skills and knowledge may end up costing you by risking the functioning of your windows.
A window professional, like us at Universal Windows Direct Central Texas, will carefully measure your windows, repair broken window trims, select the best replacement windows for your area, and properly install them so that you save on your utility expenses. Call us today!