DMac shares his home improvement expertise

If you look at the structure of your home, the windows are one of the main points for heat gain or loss, which can cause your energy bills to skyrocket. Regular, single-pane windows are one of the worst offenders, doing very little to prevent heat from flowing in or out of your home. During winter, the heat loss through windows can be responsible for up to 25% of the home’s heating bills. When summer hits, your home fills up with the sun’s rays, and your air conditioner has to work overtime to cool the space down. While regular windows won’t do much to prevent this from happening, energy-efficient windows make it their number one priority! If you’re new to the replacement window world, we’ll compare energy-efficient windows vs. regular windows and go over the many benefits that new replacement windows have.

What Are the Structural Differences?

Most often, regular windows include a single pane of glass that’s enclosed by a highly conductive material like aluminum. While these are inexpensive to make and buy, they don’t do very much in terms of energy savings or indoor comfort. On the other hand, energy-efficient windows include two (something three) panes of glass that minimize heat transfer through the window. A non-toxic and non-visible gas, called argon gas, can be added between the panes to increase the window’s efficiency even further. 

No matter how hot or cold it gets outside, the windows will regulate and maintain a pleasant indoor temperature. Unlike aluminum, many replacement windows come with energy-efficient frames such as vinyl. The frames usually include multiple dead air chambers, low conductance warm edge spacer, moisture stop, and tight seal to prevent air leaks. Every part of the window works together to keep your bills low and your family happy!

What’s the Difference in the Glass?

When it comes to regular windows, glass is glass. That’s about it. When we’re looking at energy-efficient windows, they come with Low-e (Low-emissivity) coatings on the glass that controls heat. The coating on the exterior panes reflects the sunlight away from the home, keeping its interior cooler. When you turn on the heat in the winter, the interior panes’ coating prevents the heat from escaping out the windows. In addition to this, there many different ways you can upgrade the glass for improved efficiency, noise reduction, or safety.

What Else Is Different?

You want to keep an eye out for windows (and other products) that have the Energy Star label on them. This sticker shows that the product meets federal guidelines for energy efficiency. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency runs the program with the goal of promoting environmentally friendly energy practices. In 2019, the Energy Star program saved around 500,000,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity and $39,000,000 in energy costs. These energy savings are equivalent to around 390,000,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases, about 5% of the United States’ total greenhouse gas emissions.

Our Final Thoughts

We haven’t even scratched the surface of energy-efficient windows vs. regular windows, but this is a good starting point. When comparing the two, energy-efficient widows tend to win in a landslide. They’ll improve your home’s comfort, lower your bills, reduce outdoor noise, and lessen your carbon footprint. You can reach out to us over the phone at (562) 464-0684 or by clicking here.