You may not be aware of it yet, but you can save on your utility bills through a home remodeling activity you might have done, or are about to do – replacing your windows and doors. That hasn’t stopped the consumer inundation of various technological flights of fancy that are designed to save on utility bills or serve as energy-efficient alternatives.
The most powerful weapon homeowners need in the war against energy waste is information – accurate information, that is. That’s especially true as energy costs continue to climb. The EPA, as you may know, has a program called Energy Star ™ which has its own line of specially approved Energy Star ™ windows, and they estimate savings of about $125 to $340 for the average household by using their windows and not single-pane windows.
Being that this is the time of the year when most homeowners are assimilating home remodeling projects, this is probably the best time for us to discuss these five simple ideas for selecting energy efficient windows and doors.
Use Low-E glass. Stay warm in the winter without heat loss and save energy all year round with Low-E glass windows that can control the heat that passes through your windows.
Update technology. Replace older single-pane windows with dual-pane units, which insulate the home from both cold and hot weather. For even more utility bill savings, use a combination of Low-E glass and insulating glass units.
Consider how they’re made. Doors these days are now created with cores, sills and frames that are energy-efficient, thus hampering the exchange of energy. Low-E glass in dual-pane format would guarantee that your doors are not just energy efficient, but also weather-proof. In addition, it is worth mentioning that polystyrene doors have proven to be more energy efficient over time than polyurethane doors.
Be aware of the benchmark figures. Efficiency ratings are based on U-factor, which is the amount of heat flow through a product. Items are more energy efficient if they have a lower U-Factor. Another popular measure of efficiency is the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC), which would be a product’s ability to block off heat generated by sunlight. Again, a lower SHGC is generally better. Last, but not least is Visible Light Transmission, which measures how well sunlight can penetrate a glass door or window. Naturally, higher percentages mean more light penetration.
Efficiency is not measured through fancy doohickeys. Manufacturers achieve efficiency in different ways. No matter what technology is employed, one of the easiest ways to identify the most energy-efficient products is to simply look for the Energy Star label.
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