Why is “Upgrade your windows to dual-pane with Low-E or better” green?
Upgrading to energy-efficient windows is a terrific way to reduce your energy usage. And, as you probably realize, reducing energy use not only saves money, it also reduces emissions and mitigates the demand for natural resources required to produce energy. Energy-efficient windows are expensive and effective. Installation is a lot of work — hence the hefty point allocation! Ultra-thin low-Emittance (low-E) coatings render a window or skylight highly efficient. A low-E window can block the radiant-heat transfer that typically occurs on a hot sunny day; on a frigid day, they help prevent heat from escaping.
Please note that you can make great strides on improving existing window efficiency through thermal shades, weather-stripping, and adding storm windows with a low-E coating. If you have a historic home, you might decide to upgrade the glass but leave the original sash intact. This improves energy efficiency and maintains historic character, but doesn’t discard old-growth wood which is typically air-tight and durable.
“Windows are one of the most high-tech products in residential construction. Since the early 1980s, the energy performance of typical windows has increased by more than 50 percent, the result of both improvements in glazing and in frame construction.” www.buildinggreen.com
How to: Upgrade your windows to dual-pane with Low-E or better
Windows are one of the most high-tech home products. The choices are numerous and the best selection for your project depends not only on where you live (hot vs. cold climate), but can also vary on where in the house the window is going (north side vs. south side, for example).
For the pane itself, your choices will include whether to opt for dual or triple-pane windows, whether to go with windows that have a gas filling (such as argon gas) in between panes, and whether to have windows that are coated to boost the efficiency of your windows. You can compare the efficiency of windows using the NFRC (National Fenestration Research Council) label.
For the frame, aluminum frames are largely being phased out in favor of wood, vinyl, or wood with a vinyl coating.
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