Benefits of High-Performance Windows

(Source: EPA)

High-performance windows can provide many benefits including:

• Improved comfort. High-performance windows reduce conductive heat losses and gains resulting in warmer interior surfaces during the winter and cooler interior surfaces during the summer. In homes, approximately 40 percent of our physical comfort is due to the radiant heat exchange between our bodies and the surrounding interior surfaces. Thus, high-performance windows improve comfort by reducing this radiant heat exchange. In addition, improved frames reduce drafts and provide more consistent temperatures throughout the house. 

• Quieter home. High-performance windows often utilize multiple glazing and insulated frames. These features reduce unwanted noise from the outside. 

• Increased quality. High-performance windows are often constructed with better quality materials that can result in stronger, easier to operate, and longer lasting windows.  As a result of these manufacturers frequently offer extended warranties improvements on these products.

• Improved indoor air quality. High-performance windows often have air tightness ratings of 0.2 cfm/ft or less which reduce the amount of unconditioned air leakage into a house. This air leakage can bring in dirt, dust, and other impurities that can negatively affect indoor air quality. 

• Lower utility bills. High-performance windows are better insulated and more air-tight. These features reduce energy consumption for heating and cooling which results in lower utility bills, making homes less expensive to operate.

• Reduced obsolescence.  Based on recent trends for improved efficiency, high-performance windows are expected to become standard practice for the building industry. Since it is both difficult and costly to replace windows after a house is built, it is best to install high-performance products during the original construction. ENERGY STAR labeled homes constructed with high-performance windows are, therefore, expected to be less vulnerable to obsolescence. 

• Fewer condensation problems. High-performance windows stay warmer in the winter resulting in drier  windows with fewer condensation-related problems.  Condensation can stain fabrics, lead to mold and mildew build-up, and in cold climates cause damage due to the freeze/thaw cycle. 

• Reduced wear on home furnishings. Low-E coatings can block up to 98 percent of the ultraviolet radiation emitted by the sun.  This radiation causes curtains, window treatments, carpeting, and furniture to fade and wear faster. 

• Improved resale position. High-performance windows can provide the many impressive benefits listed above resulting in a more comfortable, quieter, and higher quality home with lower utility bills fewer condensation and fading problems.  These benefits can translate into higher resale value.