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Energy Savings
"The crew was
excellent! They worked very hard to do a great job. I
love the look of the new windows!"
- Denise, Cleveland,
OH
There is a lot of talk about how replacement windows can save you money on your
utility bills, but there doesn't seem to be too much sensible explanation.
While we could talk about window efficiency all day long, we've tried to keep
things simple here.
If you'd like any more information feel free to ask.
Summer Solar Heat
In the summer, heat from the sun passes through your windows causing your
air conditioner to run more often and your bills to increase. Solar
heat gain coefficient (or SHGC) is a number that represents the fraction of
solar heat transmitted through a window. The lower a window's solar
heat gain coefficient the less solar heat it transmits. Climates that
rely heavily on air conditioning will benefit from a product that has a
lower SHGC.
As shown here, our windows with a low emissivity (or low-e) glass option and
argon gas fill will outperform a standard clear unit by as much as 49% in
the summer months.
Improving A Window's Winter Performance
In the winter a more efficient window will not let the heat generated by the
furnace escape. The U-Factor (or U value) represents the rate of heat
flow through a window. The lower a U-Factor the greater the window's
resistance to heat flow, and the better its insulating value. When the
space between the panes of glass is filled with an inert gas (typically
argon or krypton) the U-Factor is dramatically reduced.
As shown here, our windows with a low emissivity (or low-e) glass option and
argon gas fill will out perform a standard clear unit by as much as 51% in
the winter months.
All of this translates into substantial savings in utility bills and a
significant reduction in carbon emissions. The recently passed
energy efficiency tax credit means homeowners who
select our qualifying glass option will receive a 2011 tax credit up to $500.
This tax credit is only available to homeowners who select qualifying windows.
Many of the other large window companies do not have
windows efficient enough to make the cut, so
be sure you're qualified or you'll be out in the cold at tax time!
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