Energy-efficient windows prevent heated or cooled air from escaping your home, saving you energy and money. They also block out 99% of the sun’s harmful UV rays, helping to protect your furniture and carpets.
These windows use spacers between panes to keep heat and cold from moving around your home. They typically feature Low-E glass, insulated frames and argon gas.
1. Low-E Glass
The biggest benefit of low-e glass is that it reduces the amount of heat or cold that passes through a window. It does this by using a reflective coating on one side of the glass that helps to reduce the transfer of thermal energy (7). This allows for a more comfortable temperature in the home during all seasons and can save you money on your energy bills as well.
In addition, the low-e coating helps to prevent the transfer of UV rays. This is important because extended exposure to UV rays can cause furniture, carpets and paintings to fade over time. The coating on the windows helps to protect these items and also help keep you and your family healthy by blocking the UV rays from entering the home (8).
While the benefits of Low-E glass are great, they do come at an additional cost. However, over time you will see that the savings on your energy bills will offset the initial investment and may even pay for itself if you live in a warmer climate.
2. Insulated Glass Units
Insulated glass, also known as insulated glazing or double-glazed windows, keeps your home warmer in winter and cooler in summer. It does this by having two or more panes of glass separated with a spacer and filled with an insulator like air or gas.
The thermal performance of insulated glass units can be improved by using larger airspaces, Low-E coatings and by the addition of Argon or Krypton gases to improve insulation and reduce visible light transmittance (u-value). The use of metal spacers, however, should be avoided as they conduct heat (unless they are made of a thermally improved material) reducing the energy efficiency of the window.
Insulated glass units can be fabricated to meet a wide variety of aesthetic and performance requirements. For example, tinted or reflective glass can be placed on surface #2 and a full coverage translucent ceramic frit can be applied to surface #4 for spandrel locations without impairing the insulating capability of the unit.
4. Argon Gas
Argon is one of the noble gases and is found in our atmosphere besides nitrogen and oxygen. It is an odorless, tasteless gas and doesn’t react with other elements at room temperature. It is also non-toxic and does not corrode metals (6).
Window manufacturers fill the space between double and triple pane windows with argon to increase their thermal efficiency and energy reduction. This is because argon is denser than air and reduces heat transfer by 67%.
In addition, argon doesn’t ozone deplete and is an environmentally friendly choice. Argon-filled windows can be a great option for homeowners seeking an energy efficient and comfortable home environment (10). If your old double-pane windows have lost some of their argon gas, a window professional can inspect them and inject more argon if necessary. This will also help prevent fog and frost between the window panes in winter. These new windows will provide a more natural, comfortable indoor temperature and can add to your home’s property value.