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Windows can be one of your home's most attractive features.
Windows provide views, daylighting, ventilation, and solar
heating in the winter. Unfortunately, they can also account
for 10% to 25% of your heating bill. During the summer, sunny
windows make your air conditioner work two to three times
harder. If you live in the Sun Belt, look into new solar
control spectrally selective windows, which can cut the cooling
load by more than half.
If your home has single-pane windows, as almost half of U.S.
homes do, consider replacing them. New double-pane windows
with high-performance glass (e.g., low-e or spectrally
selective) are available on the market. In colder climates,
select windows that are gas filled with low-emissivity (low-e)
coatings on the glass to reduce heat loss. In warmer climates,
select windows with spectrally selective coatings to reduce
heat gain. If you are building a new home, you can offset
some of the cost of installing more efficient windows because
doing so allows you to buy smaller, less expensive heating
and cooling equipment.
If you decide not to replace your windows, the simpler, less
costly measures listed below can improve the performance of
your windows.
Cold-Climate Window Tips
Double-pane windows with low-e coating on the glass reflect
heat back into the room during the winter months.
- Install exterior or interior storm windows; storm
windows can reduce your heat loss through the windows by
25% to 50%. Storm windows should have weatherstripping at
all moveable joints; be made of strong, durable materials;
and have interlocking or overlapping joints. Low-e storm
windows save even more energy.
- Repair and weatherize your current storm windows, if
necessary.
- Install tight-fitting, insulating window shades on
windows that feel drafty after weatherizing.
- Close your curtains and shades at night; open them
during the day.
- Keep windows on the south side of your house clean to
maximize solar gain.
Warm-Climate Window Tips
In the summertime, the sun shining through your windows
heats up the room. Windows with spectrally selective coatings
on the glass reflect some of the sunlight, keeping your rooms
cooler.
- Install white window shades, drapes, or blinds to
reflect heat away from the house.
- Close curtains on south- and west-facing windows during
the day.
- Install
awnings on south- and west-facing windows.
- Apply sun-control or other reflective films on
south-facing windows to reduce solar gain.
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