Energy Efficiency Is The Major Goal Of Replacement Windows
With the high cost of utility bills these days, and the
environmentalists lobbying for ways to save energy, the
replacement window industry has stepped up to the plate and
produced many ways to please everybody involved.
Energy-efficient windows are becoming the norm today and the
methods of accomplishing this are quite interesting.
If you stand by your window, it’s easy to understand why changes
are being sought. In the summer, it’s hot; in the winter, it’s
cold. So there’s a drive to build a wall between you and the
outdoors – a wall you can still see through. And that’s what
technology has created. They’ve found a way to keep your house
comfortable, no matter what the season or climate.
You want your home to be warm in the winter and cool in the
summer. If your windows are there just to allow you to see
outside, then they’re doing their job. But if you want them to
be instrumental in keeping your house at a constant comfortable
temperature, then you need more. You need the new technology of
replacement windows.
One of the first methods of insulating your windows was to
double them – that is, put two panes of glass in the window
frame, with an airspace between the two. The idea behind this is
that the air between the panes will keep the outside window at
the outside temperature, and the inside window at the inside
temperature, and “ne’er the twain shall meet”. This worked fine,
but not as well as people wanted.
The next innovation was to cover the window with a clear coating
that would improve heat loss without decreasing light. That
improvement came in the form of low-emissivity (Low-E) glass. It
improved heat loss by 40%-70%. But people wanted still more.
So heat-absorbing glass was developed. This glass absorbs up to
45% of sunlight, keeping indoors cooler. However, some heat was
still getting through. So on to the next development –
reflective glass. Reflective glass is coated with a film that
reflects sunlight instead of absorbing it. So now the heat stays
out, or in, depending on what time of year it is, and on what
you need to make you comfortable.
Contact our Window Specialist today to help you with your window needs.
