How Energy-efficient Windows Are Your Ticket To Cutting 

Heating And Cooling Costs

In hot and cold seasons, you cool and heat your home, consuming some quantity of energy. The windows installed in your home are responsible for 25%-30% of the energy consumption that your residential heating and cooling use. 

Energy-efficient windows are a solution to saving heating and cooling costs as they reduce energy usage through high insulation. If you want to find energy-efficient windows, it is essential to look for the Energy Star label. It is a certified government-backed symbol for energy efficiency that helps you save your bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Government of Canada, buying Energy Star certified windows can save you an average of 45% on your monthly utility bill. They are about 20% more energy-efficient than ordinary windows. 

But, wait, how do energy-efficient windows reduce energy use and save money? Here are some characteristics of energy-efficient windows:

1. Multiple layers of glass 
2. Low-E coatings 
3. Quality frame materials  

Multiple Layers of Glass 

Let’s look at glass types that are energy-efficient. It is optimal to buy double and triple pane windows with multiple layers of glass as double glazing lowers the amount of heat loss by more than 50% compared to single glazing. Double-pane windows have two layers of glass that have a small space between each other and stay separate by spacers. The small space creates an air pocket between two sealed layers of glass and prevents the heat from entering and escaping. The air pocket can be filled with gases such as argon and krypton to reduce heat transfer as they are denser than air. As a result, you use energy less and save your bills more!

Low-E Coatings

The second characteristic of energy-efficient windows is a  Low-E coating. Low emissivity or Low-E coatings are essential for energy savings. They help to have warm winters and cool summers at home. How? Let’s dive into it.

Coatings reduce the number of ultraviolet rays that pass through, while still allowing sunlight to enter the house. In winter, the internal heat from your house naturally wants to spill outside towards the colder atmosphere, and Low-E coating prevents it. It does so by reflecting the heat, making it go back to the inside. Thus, the coating reduces the transfer of heat from a warmer environment to a cooler one. And the same goes for the summer. Therefore, it prevents energy consumption and saves money. 

Moreover, you might have experienced fading or discoloration of your favourite items because of the direct sunlight. Energy-efficient windows use a coating like sunscreen for the house, reducing the possibility of fading by up to 75%.

Quality Frame Materials

Last but not least, the frame is one of the most efficient ways to save energy. The thermal resistance of certain frames can improve the energy efficiency of the windows, especially its U-Factor. The latter shows the rate at which a window conducts the non-solar heat flow. You can evaluate the energy efficiency of the window by looking at the rate of the U-Factor; the lower it is, the better. Each frame has pros and cons, however, vinyl, composite, fibreglass, and wood frames are more thermally resistant than metal. 

Considering the above-mentioned features, energy-efficient windows cut the heating and cooling costs all by saving energy. Energy Star is the certified label that you should look at while buying energy-efficient windows. We can consider the window as energy-efficient if it has multiple window panes, Low-E coatings, non-toxic and harmless gases filled in an air pocket, and high-quality frames. 

Arqa provides windows that are energy-efficient and helps you to save on your energy bill! Browse our selection today.