Energy Efficient Windows - They Are Easy to Install!
Do you have energy efficient windows in your home? Chances are that if your home was built within the last twenty years, the answer is the builder probably used some type of them.
The question is, however, just how efficient are those windows?
If you house is older that twenty years, chances are you could save a lot of money by replacing the windows with today’s more efficient window designs.
We lived in the South Florida in the 1950s and 1960s and at that time, the most common window installed was the jalousie. This window is simply slats of glass designed to let the breezes flow through.
They were good at that. In those days, energy efficiency was not a concern. Times have changed and energy usage is everyone’s concern.
Glass windows are portals to the outside or thermal holes to your energy bill. The average home loses approximately 30% of its heating and cooling cost to its windows.
If you have an older home without energy efficient windows and proper insulation, your heating and cooling costs are much higher. Those figures run as high as 80% waste.
Imagine if you could reduce your energy bill by 80% by simply installing efficient windows and insulation?
Chances are that when your house was built, the builder used “builder grade” construction materials. Do you know what builder grade really means? It means this is the cheapest material the builder could find that met building codes applicable at the time the house was built, and satisfied the design considerations of the house. Most of the material was OK, but not the best.
How much is this economy on the part of the builder costing you?
That’s hard to determine as each area of the country has different energy considerations. For instance, a home built in Michigan will have more cold days than hot days. If the same home was built in Florida, there will be more hot days than cold ones, as well as a fair amount of rain. Arizona has more hot sunny days than either of the other locations. The requirements are dependent on where you live.
I have seen estimates that converting from single glass to double glass can save you as much as $250 a year. By converting to triple glaze with Low E and High solar glass and insulating gas, you could save as much as $450 to $600 per year.
These estimated figures are based upon a 1500 SF house. And remember this is JUST replacing the windows. Insulating the doors and attic spaces will give you greater savings than these figures.
In Summary - What Makes an Energy Efficient Window?
- Multiple panes of glass. Two or more are better. For extra insulation, add an inert gas between the glass panes to decrease any moisture and potential fogging.
- Low E glass. A special coating to reflect infrared light and damaging ultraviolet rays away from the inside of the house.
- Improved frame materials. Vinyl, fiberglass and wood composites are good insulators.
- Warm edge spacers. These keep the glass panes apart to help prevent condensation between the glass panes. Have you seen windows with a fog between the glass panes?
These are the highlights of energy efficient windows. Now save yourself some money.
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