The following is a guest post from Joe Mills, Director of Marketing for Sunrise Windows and Doors.
Did you know that October is Energy Awareness Month? Sponsored by the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), this program is designed to increase understanding of all the ways that we can be mindful of energy usage and ways to manage that usage.
It probably wouldn’t surprise you to know that your windows and doors can have a significant impact on net annual energy consumption. Let’s talk about four areas for potential heat gain/loss that can affect your homes energy expense.
Heat Loss Through Convection
When it comes to windows and patio doors, convection has to do with the movement of heated and cooled air. As we all know, heated air rises and cooler air falls. During the cold winters of the Northeast, exterior cooled air is flowing down against the exterior panes of glass in your windows and your furnace is creating the opposite effect inside your home.
This causes what is termed as “thermal roll,” the net effect of which is a loss of heated air from, and an intrusion of cooler air into, your home. The way to mitigate this gain/loss is to insulate the glass and fill the glass space with an inert gas, like argon
Conduction is Lessened by the Material Used in Your Spacer System
If you’ve ever owned metal windows, been inside your home in the winter and felt how cold the frames get, you know all about conductive heat gain/loss. Metal windows are one of the biggest culprits of this.
In today’s windows, conduction is best dealt with by how the spacer system is constructed. In essence, not only does the spacer hold the two panes of glass together, but the material in the spacer determines how much conductive heat gain/loss occurs.
Don’t Forget About Radiant Heat Gain/Loss
Radiant heat gain/loss has to do with the heat from the sun, which most people equate with the summer. But there is a winter component regarding what is called “passive solar heat gain.” In plain language it just asks the question, “Can the sun heat up an interior room in the winter, so as to take some of the burden off of your heating system?”
With windows, radiant heat is dealt with by introducing low e (emissivity) coatings. Today’s coatings are similar to mirrors in that they reflect heat away from where you don’t want it. A great low e helps in the winter and the summer.
The Dirty Little Secret When It Comes to Replacement Windows
The last one area to discuss is the one that probably gets discussed the least, and even if you have the best way to deal with the issues above, the wrong move here can negate any benefits that you’ve gotten.
Of the most cited reasons that homeowners replace their windows is draftiness. The common assumption is that any brand-new window would alleviate those issues. Unfortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
There are design, construction and cost decisions that window manufacturers make that contribute to how well new windows control air leakage.
Unfortunately, according to Energy Star, gaps of only 1/16” anywhere in the window assembly are equivalent to a hole in the side of your home the size of a brick. If you have 10 windows in your home, imagine the amount of energy waste 10 brick size holes would equate to.
At Sunrise, we’re proud to have partnered with the folks at Coastal Windows & Exteriors. Do your research and find that Sunrise Windows are some of the best looking, best performing, and best reviewed products in the marketplace. Coastal is our exclusive provider of our Restorations brand in your area, our top of the line product.
The Vanderbilt’s and the rest of the Coastal team stand ready to walk you through how their roofing, window, siding and door products handle each of the heat gain/loss issues differently than their competitors to help you be a more energy conscious consumer.
If you are interested in getting new Roofing, Windows, Siding, or Doors, click here or call 978-817-7072 for more information. Also, check out our current promotions to learn more about how to save money getting the energy efficient home upgrades that you need!
