Energy efficient replacement windows in San Jose, CA will transform your home and keep it comfortable and reduce the amount you are paying for energy. Old windows can allow up to 40% of the heat in a home to escape. This makes it hard to maintain a constant temperature and it makes your HVAC system run more often to maintain the internal temperature you have set on your thermostat.
When you’re purchasing replacement windows, maximum energy efficiency should be one of your main considerations, since you can reduce up to 20% of your power costs with energy efficient windows.
All energy efficient windows will have an Energy Star label. They may also have a NFRC (National Fenestration Rating Council) label. These two labels give you a lot of information about how energy efficient the replacement window is.
The Energy Star label is a guarantee that the replacement window has met the energy efficiency criteria established by the federal government. The NFRC label gives you a lot of detail about the factors that go into making a replacement window energy efficient.
The NFRC label has five energy efficiency measurements.
The first is the U-Factor, which measures the insulation capability of the window. The number range is between .20 and 1.20. The lower this number is, the better the window is at providing insulation. For warmer climates, a U-Factor of .60 or less is recommended.
The second measurement is the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC), which measures how much solar radiation and heat the window allows in. The number range is between 0 and 1. The lower the number, the less solar radiation and heat is allowed in. For warmer climates, a SHGC of .4 or less is recommended.
The third NFRC measure is visible transmittance, which measures how much visible light is allowed in through the window. The number range is between 0 and 1. The higher the number is, the more visible light the window will allow in. Be careful if you’re considering replacement windows with a low visible transmittance number because you want to have a room darker or want less glare because you’ll most likely need to use artificial lighting during the daytime.
The fourth number is air leakage, which measures how airtight the window is. There is no number range, per se, but .3 is the standard building code requirement. If the number is lower than .3, then the window will be even more airtight, which will keep energy costs lower.
The NFRC number on the label is condensation resistance, which measures how much condensation the window will allow to build up. The number range is between 1 and 100. The higher the number, the less condensation the window will allow to build up. Since part of the testing for Energy Star ratings includes the ability to resist condensation, this will likely be a higher number.
For more energy efficiency, consider replacement windows with multiple panes of glass, with an inert gas filling the gaps between the panes. Double pane and triple pane windows are two to three times more energy efficient than single pane windows.
A final aspect of energy efficient windows is having the frames and sashes filled with foam. Foam will reduce thermal conduction and make the replacement windows even more efficient.
To learn more about energy efficient replacement windows in San Jose, CA, you can talk with our expert team at California Custom Creations. You can call us at (408) 316-6293 to make an appointment for a free in-home consultation.
