7 Reasons You Should Choose Energy-Efficient, High Performance Windows

Posted by Manny DeMelo on June 16th, 2016

High performance windowsIs it time to spruce up your home with new windows? Choosing high-performance windows can boost your home’s energy efficiency – controlling energy bills, keeping everyone inside comfortable, and blocking outside noises from getting in.

Check out these seven benefits of choosing high-performance, energy-efficient windows for your home:

1.     Save on Energy Bills

Energy-efficient windows are engineered to moderate the temperature inside your home, helping it stay warm during the winter and cool in the summer – saving homeowners 9-18% on their heating and cooling costs every year.

2.     Increase Comfort Levels for Your Home’s Occupants

Conventional windows – especially older ones – are prone to drafts, air leakage, and heat loss. As a result, your heating and cooling system needs to work harder to maintain a comfortable temperature. High-performance, energy-efficient windows are better insulated and maintain a higher surface temperature on interior glazing, which makes them better able to keep your home’s temperature in check.

3.     More Humidity without Condensation

The outside air tends to be at its driest during colder months. If too much of it gets into your home, it can lower the inside relative humidity (RH) and cause static electricity shocks, dry throats, and skin irritations. Humidifying the air can bring temporary relief, although bringing the RH above 40% for too long can result in a number of issues including:

  • Reduced visibility through foggy windows.
  • Mold growth.
  • The deterioration of your window’s components.

With energy-efficient windows, the better thermal performance of components and higher inside glass temperatures allow for increased inside RH levels – making your home’s occupants more comfortable.

4.     Less Sound Transmission

High-performance windows are made with inert gas fills to minimize sound transition from outside to inside. Increasing the number of panes in your windows – choosing triple- instead of double-paned – will improve sound absorption even more.

5.     More Natural Light for Your Home

As the glazing for high-performance windows gets better, they can get bigger without letting too much heat escape during the winter or pass through during the summer.

By bringing more natural light into your home, you can:

  • Use less artificial lighting. This can help you save on electricity costs, as you can rely more on natural light.
  • Reduce your home’s cooling needs during the summer. Conventional lightbulbs use 15% of their energy to light your home while wasting the other 85% as heat.

6.     Keep UV Rays Out to Protect Your Floors and Furniture

Low-emissivity (low-E) glass not only keeps heat out; it also repels ultraviolet (UV) rays – reducing their transmission by 50-75%. This helps prevent floors and furniture inside your home from fading.

7.     Streamline Builds and Renovations

On cold nights, conventional windows can lose up to 10 times the heat compared to well-insulated walls around them. To compensate for that heat loss, contractors often need to put heating registers under windows and around the outside of rooms. High-performance, energy-efficient windows make perimeter heating less critical and let contractors locate discharge outlets on the walls, which can:

  • Reduce the complexity, diameter, and length of duct layouts.
  • Increase comfort levels for everyone inside your home.
  • Save on material costs and installation times, even if you’re upgrading old windows.

If you’re not sure where to start, work with an experienced home contractor to find the high-performance, energy-efficient windows that will suit your home.

At Quality Exteriors, we are experts at helping you find the ENERGY STAR windows that will fit your home and save you money.  Contact us today to request a free in-home consultation!

Serving homeowners in St. Catharines, Niagara, Hamilton, Burlington, and Oakville.

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