Your home’s windows have the potential to enhance its energy efficiency or work against it. If you live in an older home, your windows may be playing a major role in your lack of insulation. It’s time to invest in energy-saving windows that not only beautify your home’s appearance but also boost its energy efficiency.
Pinnacle Home Improvements is a window replacement contractor in Nashville, TN, dedicated to providing top-quality home renovations. We are committed to eco-friendly windows that upgrade your sustainability and promote energy savings. In this blog post, we discuss what qualities make for eco-friendly windows and review your energy-efficient window options.
Characteristics of Energy-Saving Windows
Cost-effective windows help maximize the insulation in your home by preventing the escape of your heated or cooled air. When your climate-controlled air escapes through energy-inefficient windows, your HVAC system will work harder to keep up.
Energy-efficient windows minimize air seepage while reducing solar heat gain. As a result, you can enjoy a more comfortable interior, better safety, improved noise reduction, and lower energy bills.
Overview of the Best Energy-Efficient Window Options
When it comes to energy-saving windows, you need to consider all parts of the window for the most eco-friendly windows.
Frames
Window frames are available in different materials, and the choices made for these frames can help enhance your home. Vinyl is a budget-friendly choice that provides excellent energy efficiency and creates a tight seal that reduces leakage.
Wood is often the best insulation, though it tends to require more upkeep to prevent wood rot. Wood-clad frames may also provide the best of both worlds. Aluminum may allow for more heat transfer, and while they are an asset in coastal areas, there may be better options for homeowners in Tennessee looking to enhance energy efficiency.
Glass
The glass used in your window frames is perhaps the most crucial decision you’ll make. Eco-friendly windows will have a lower solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) and U-factor, which you can see at a glance. Energy Star’s endorsement can also help you choose the best energy-saving windows for your home.
Additionally, choosing double-paned windows, known as double-glazed, can provide excellent insulation and energy savings. These windows are vacuum-sealed with non-toxic gas fills and warm-edge spacers, usually containing argon, in between the panes to provide more excellent insulation and less heat loss. Triple-glazed windows add more layers of insulation, though these are best when you live in a cold climate.
Design
Certain window designs can also improve energy efficiency. Casement windows crank open and provide added protection from wind, while double-hung windows slide open at the bottom. Picture windows can improve your view and come in many shapes and sizes, though they don’t open.
Many different kinds of window designs can enhance the beauty of your home while providing energy savings. The experts at Pinnacle Home Improvements can show you the advantages of each design to help you pick the best windows for your home.
Installation
The final metric for eco-friendly windows is how they are installed. Always choose a reputable company with experience in window replacement to ensure that the flashing, caulking, and other small details are noticed when performing your installation. This will ensure the longevity of your window function and its ability to insulate your home correctly.
Benefits of Energy-Saving Windows
While it is an investment, homeowners will gain many benefits from replacing their windows with energy-efficient window options.
Lower Electric Bills
Upgrading your windows to energy-saving windows helps you save money on your energy costs. These windows provide better insulation for your home, keeping it at the desired temperature you’ve set on your thermostat. This also assists your HVAC system by retaining the ambient temperature, preventing this major appliance from working harder to create the same output.
Better Comfort
Since these windows can help prevent solar heat gain and loss of your heated or cooled air, you’ll feel more comfortable at home. You won’t have to grab another sweater in winter or suffer from sweltering temperatures in the summer.
Quieter Interior
Eco-friendly windows are great for insulation, which also makes them ideal for reducing outside noises. If you live off a busy road, near a school or playground, or tend to hear your neighbors every time they’re in their yard, making this upgrade can provide you with better peace.
Prevents Condensation and Damage
Energy-efficient windows don’t form condensation, which can limit your view. Condensation causes significant problems for homes besides clouding the glass. It can cause moisture and mold growth on the frames, which can become a costly issue for your home.
More Natural Light
When windows aren’t efficient, you may cover them up during the day to block out heat. In doing so, you also block out natural light that serves to brighten your interior. Get these new windows and you can let the sunlight shine in without compromising your comfort or your furnishings.
Eco-Friendly Windows
Making the switch to energy-efficient windows also allows you to do your part for the environment. You’ll not only cut down on your energy consumption but also prevent the seepage of greenhouse gases into the world, lessening your carbon footprint thanks to eco-friendly windows.
Increased Value for Your Home
When you decide to sell your home, upgrades to energy-saving windows are an attractive asset for homebuyers. These windows can also add greater curb appeal, allowing you to command a higher selling price.
Types of Windows That Can Improve Your Home’s Energy Efficiency
If you have an older home, you may want to think about replacing single pane windows, which were a standard option years ago. Now, single pane windows simply won’t do when it comes to energy efficiency. Your best options for energy efficient windows are double pane windows or triple pane windows.
Double Pane Windows
For energy efficient windows that balance affordability with a low solar heat gain coefficient, double pane windows are an excellent choice. As the name suggests, they feature two panes of glass, which have a gas fill between them designed to help your home stay more energy efficient and reduce outside noises. They save energy through less heat transfer, ensuring better energy performance for your home. You’ll see your energy bills decrease and you’ll feel more comfortable indoors during any season. Plus, your HVAC system won’t have to work as hard, taking on less wear and tear while reducing heating and cooling costs.
Triple Pane Windows
Triple pane windows are the most energy efficient windows of all. Instead of two panes of glass with gas fills, there are three panes, making for extreme energy efficiency. These are a better investment in tougher climates, though homeowners who upgrade to triple pane windows are getting the most energy efficient windows when they choose triple pane windows.
Should You Get Energy Star Certified Windows?
Many homeowners ask about Energy Star Certified windows and wonder if they are the best choice to save energy. Created by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Energy Star Certified windows have a logo on them that helps you see at a glance the benefits they provide.
When you see the Energy Star label, it allows you to choose new windows with greater ease. Energy Star products do come with a more premium price tag, though the benefits far outweigh the costs, particularly if you’re planning to stay in your home for many more years to come.
Save Energy
With Energy Star windows, you reduce heat loss during colder months and heat gain in the summer. This keeps your energy bills lower while allowing you to maintain the most comfortable temperature inside your home.
More Comfort
Part of your interior comfort has to do with your heating and cooling system. However, when you have aging windows, especially single panes, they let out all the heated or cool air, forcing your system to try to keep up. You wind up wasting energy, seeing higher utility bills, and never seem to feel comfortable. Choosing Energy Star means you get to restore your ideal level of comfort.
Tax Credits
When you choose these labeled windows, especially options that feature Low-E coatings, it’s worth the initial investment because you might be getting tax credits and rebates that can help offset the costs.
Reduced Your Carbon Footprint
Home efficiency is about using less energy, and while various factors can contribute to that, the glass you choose for your windows can significantly reduce your carbon footprint. Energy Star windows commit to that added efficiency making it easier for you to choose wisely.
Increased Home Value
With Energy Star as well as windows with a National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) rating that aligns with efficiency, it is one of the fastest ways to upgrade the value of your home. Even if you’re not planning to sell it soon, double hung windows with Low-E coatings that block out harmful UV rays will appeal to a wide range of homebuyers.
Factors to Consider When Getting New Windows for Your Home
When it’s time to replace your windows, there are additional things you should keep in mind:
Your Climate Zone
The right windows for hot climates won’t exactly be ideal for colder climates. Make sure that you factor in your location and what the climate is like as you compare products. Your window replacement contractor can also help by providing guidance as to which options would be most efficient for your home.
Window Orientation
The orientation of your windows is also an important consideration. Windows that get more sunlight will need more help blocking UV rays. Look at the solar heat gain coefficient values for each side of your home. Some homeowners will mix and match window types to suit their needs. For example, if you know that one side of your home is getting the lion’s share of sunlight, it may be best to upgrade those windows to triple pane windows and use double panes on the others. Knowing these tricks can help you save money on the project while updating your home.
Window Type
There are enough window choices to make your head spin from awning windows to bay windows and tons of considerations within each such as the panes, U-factor, Low-E coatings and more. The best thing you can do is look at the styles you like and work with a contractor who can help you find the best products from frame material to panes that will ensure your window replacement enhances every aspect of your home.
Pinnacle Home Improvements’ Approach to Energy-Saving Windows
Your windows could directly impact your enjoyment of your home. With Pinnacle Home Improvements, you’ll have a partner who walks you through all of your energy-efficient window options to help you make the best choices for your home.
It all starts with a consultation, during which we provide our assessment of your windows and show you an array of choices. We’ll cover the advantages of all the materials, from frames to glass, as well as the window styles. We can also help you insulate windows for winter and even assist with doors, particularly with types of weatherstripping for exterior doors to truly maximize your energy efficiency. Once you’ve made your selections, we’ll get to work removing the old windows, disposing of them properly, and integrating your new cost-effective windows according to manufacturer instructions and building codes.
Invest in your home today, and you’ll have a brighter tomorrow. Gorgeous windows illuminate your home’s interior without sacrificing comfort or energy efficiency.
