Save On Energy Regardless Of The Season With These Five Tips

Replacing windows and doors is the fourth most common home-remodeling project and experts say it can dramatically reduce utility bills. That hasn't stopped the consumer inundation of various technological flights of fancy that are designed to save on utility bills or serve as energy-efficient alternatives.

The most powerful weapon homeowners need in the war against energy waste is information - accurate information, that is. And this is a war that continues to be fought "bravely" by energy costs, that keep rising on consumers. The EPA, as you may know, has a program called Energy Star (tm) which has its own line of specially approved Energy Star (tm) windows, and they estimate savings of about $125 to $340 for the average household by using their windows and not single-pane windows.

Since this is the time of year when many homeowners embark on remodeling projects, here are five basic tips for selecting the most energy efficient windows and doors for your home.

Low-E glass windows. Windows with Low-E Glass (low-energy) work by tempering the amount of heat that is transmitted through the windows, and also prevents the loss of heat in the winter.

Make technological advancements. Don't let this tip daunt you - this simply means replacing single-pane windows with dual-panes, allowing for better insulation from all kinds of weather. Using both Low-E glass and insulating glass units will reduce home energy costs.

How are they constructed? Choose doors with energy-efficient cores, sills and frames that provide a barrier to energy exchange. Weathertight conditions and energy efficiency is achieved, for example, by the use of dual-pane, Low-E glass. Also, it has been proven that over the past few years, steel doors constructed with polystyrene have better energy ratings than the average doors made with polyurethane.

Understand the standards. Energy efficiency ratings are derived from a figure called U-Factor, which is the measurement of heat flowing through a product. A lower U-Factor makes for a more energy efficient product. The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC), on the other hand, is a product or appliance's capacity to block heat that is generated from the sun. Again, a lower SHGC is generally better. The last figure analyzed by experts would be the Visible Light Transmission, which is a percentage figure of sunlight that is able to permeate an glass surface, say, a window. This is a percentage figure, and the higher it is, the more sunlight can pass through the glass.

Focus on efficiency, not bells and whistles. There are many ways to skin a cat, and companies have their own ways to achieve efficiency. Regardless of how an item is manufactured, a lot of people overlook that it is infinitely more simple to look for the Energy Star (tm) label as a surefire sign of the product's efficiency.


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