The Peters Township Source

Heating and cooling is the largest energy expense in most homes across the country. Few things affect your heating and cooling costs as much as your home’s windows. If your windows are in good shape, it will probably be most cost-effective to boost their efficiency by adding weather-stripping and caulking. But if your existing windows have rotted or damaged wood, cracked glass, or missing putty, you may be better off replacing them.With window replacement, you have the leverage to pick from the abundance of energy efficient products on the market.

The most obvious benefit of energy efficient windows is the minimization of heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. Several factors make a window energy efficient: the frame, insulated glass material, glass spacers, and correct installation.Window size and solar orientation are also factors in how efficient a window will be.

Energy efficient windows will improve your home both economically and environmentally.With the rising price of natural gas and electricity, energy-efficient windows can help lower your monthly heating and cooling costs, enhance security and increase your home’s resale value.

Windows with the Energy Star label are twice as efficient as the average window produced ten years ago.They are available in a variety of options such as aluminum, fiberglass, vinyl, and wood.They comes in design styles such as single-hung, double-hung, casement, horizontal slider, fixed and picture.

Choosing the right windows to complement your home is not a difficult task and one that can be financially rewarding and comforting to your lifestyle.

The Frame
Wood, fiberglass, aluminum, and vinyl – each of these options can be called "green” by various criteria, but research indicates that there are equally compelling arguments against the cost effectiveness of each. Here’s a simple breakdown:

Wood frames are energy efficient, though they will cost you quite a few dollars at the outset and in regular maintenance costs.They are relatively easy to repair if broken, and you can ensure a sustainable product by purchasing from a certified supplier.

Fiberglass frames are energy efficient.The initial cost is high but the maintenance is little to none.The sustainability factor is somewhat in question, as these can be difficult to source.

Aluminum frames do not rank especially high as an energy efficient option because they are heat conductors—the flow of energy is not as regulated as with other framing products.They are quite cost effective, and it doesn’t take much to maintain them.

Vinyl, while popular for its low cost, low maintenance, resistance to moisture, and energy efficiency, is now raising concerns about the release of highly poisonous chemicals, such as cadmium, during the production process.

The Glass
As anyone with an old home knows, heat is transferred from the inside to the outside during the winter. During the summer, heat is transferred from the outside to the inside.

Double pane, or insulated, windows are the most energy efficient options.They consist of panes of glass separated by spacer bars with a sealed air gap in between. Since air is not the best heat conductor, the gap acts as a buffer that slows the transfer of heat and provides sound insulation. Double pane, or insulated, windows are the most energy efficient options.

Triple and even quadruple pane windows were popular for a time but due to high cost and hefty weight issues, double panes are now the standard, especially with the introduction of low-emittance coating technology, or “low-e.” Low-e is a simply a microscopic layer of reflective metallic coating applied to the panes so that heat is reflected either into or out of a building.