How to choose energy-efficient windows for your home
Aug 26, 2016
Everyone wants to save money, but when you can conserve cash by conserving energy, it’s a win-win proposition. Energy-efficient windows prevent outdoor air and temperatures from seeping into your home’s interior, providing energy savings as well as a boost in your comfort.
Before investing in replacement windows, get to know what the technology provides. Knowing how to choose the energy-efficient windows for your home ensures you get the results you expect.
Energy Performance Ratings
The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) certifies the energy performance of windows, skylights, and glazed doors. They assess the heat gain and loss that occurs, and provide a rating, based on two measurements:
- U-value: The window’s resistant to heat loss; and
- Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC): The amount of heat the enters the home through the glass
The lower the NFRC rating, the better the energy efficiency of the window.
Window Frame Material
Your choice of window frame material could impact the energy efficiency of the replacement window.
Vinyl windows are more affordable than wood and also provide excellent energy efficiency with low maintenance.
Wood offers the best insulation of any replacement windows, but also requires more maintenance. Because of the potential for rot, wood is best in dry climates.
Wood-clad windows represent a hybrid approach. The vinyl exterior provides durability with low maintenance. The wood interior adds excellent insulation.
If you’re interested in the engineering that goes into energy-efficient windows, here’s a comprehensive guide from the U.S. Department of Energy.
In the Kansas City area, talk to us at Johnson County Siding & Windows. For 30 years, we’ve specialized in high-performance, low-maintenances windows. Contact us to learn more about your options for energy-efficient replacement windows.
