Home Improvement Tips – Part 3: Saving Money With Windows

Energy efficiency has always been a major factor when it comes to choosing windows, but many people don’t really understand what it actually means aside from the fact that it “saves you money”. But how, exactly, can efficient windows help you?

As its name implies, an energy-efficient window is a type of window that helps your home use up less energy. If a window is able to help keep indoor temperatures constant, for instance, your HVAC system won’t need to kick up its power constantly to keep the indoors comfortable. This lowers overall energy usage, which means a significant reduction on your monthly electric bill.

The decrease in your electric bill may not seem like much at first. Over time, though, your savings could  add up to hundreds, even thousands of dollars. Thus, in a way, yourenergy-efficient window will end up paying for itself over time!

There are several factors that make a window energy efficient, so understanding how energy savings works can be very helpful in maximizing your choice:

U-factor – How quickly does a window transfer heat/cold

Solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) – how much heat from the sun is able to pass through the window

Visible transmittance(VT) – How much visible light can pass through the window

Light to solar gain – The ratio between SHGC and VT

Air leakage – How much air can pass through the window

If you live in and area that gets plenty of sun and generally warm weather, you should go for a window that has good U-factor and SHGC ratings. Depending on how bright you want your home to be during daytime, you may elect to go for a window with just enough visible transmittance without sacrificing SHGC. If you rely a lot on your HVAC to stay comfortable, you’ll want as little air leakage as possible.

Changing your windows can be as big or as small a home improvement project as you want it to be. One thing’s for sure, however: the benefits new windows can bring will undoubtedly be significant.