Energy Efficient Windows

Glass Types & Coating Options

There are many types of glass that can be used to manufacture windows for your home or business. In its most basic form, glass window panes are made from float glass, which is fragile and can break easily. This is just simply molten glass that is poured to the shape and size needed. From this point, float glass is used to make all other types of glass for windows.

Laminated glass is made from two panes of float glass with a thin layer of PVB resin pressed between the glass panes. Laminated glass is strong and prevents shattering.

            Obscured glass is an etched or beveled glass that makes it impossible to see through. This type of window is great for bathrooms. It will let in light, but prevents anyone from seeing into your home.

            Tempered glass is float glass that has gone through another process called tempering. This window is too hard to cut, but can break into smaller pieces if struck too hard.

            Insulated glass is a coated glass that is used in double and triple-pane windows. Separated by a space bar and filled with argon or krypton gasses to create an insulation between the glass panes.

Annealed glass is ordinary glass, see “Float glass” (also called “flat” glass) that has not been heat-strengthened or tempered. Annealing float glass is the process of controlled cooling to prevent residual stress in the glass and is an inherent operation of the float glass manufacturing process. During the float glass manufacturing process, the hot glass is gently cooled in the annealing lehr, which releases any internal stresses from the glass to enable the cutting and further processing of the glass post manufacture. Annealed glass can be cut, machined, drilled, edged and polished. Annealed glass when broken gives large fragments with sharp edges and so is not usually classifiable as a “safety” glass.

            Low-E glass is a specially designed coating that will block UV rays and reduce the amount of heat that enters and escapes from your home. The Low-E glass will help to make your home more energy efficient.  

When purchasing windows, you may want to add a coating to your windows. In addition to insulated and Low-E coatings, there are coatings for glare reduction, UV blocking, privacy or decorative coatings, such as tints, and safety coatings. These are extra features that can be discussed with an Arch City window representative to determine the best window for your home.

Optimized Designs

In order to achieve the maximum energy efficiency in a window design, your best bet is a hinged-sash window, like a casement or awning window. The construction of this type of window creates a weather-tight seal when closed. Taking into account where the window will be located in the home, how it will be used and if it will be receiving direct sunlight are factors to consider when deciding what type of windows to purchase.

ENERGY STAR Certification

Energy Star is a voluntary program that began in 1992 by the Environment Protection Agency to aid in decreasing greenhouse gasses by clearly labeling the most energy-efficient products.  It was a way for consumers and businesses to make informed decisions when making purchases of appliances, lighting products, home electronics and even windows and doors.  If a product has the yellow Energy Star sticker on it, it means it provides significant energy savings, uses non-proprietary technology, its energy consumption is verifiable through testing, and if the item is more expensive than its less efficient competition, the consumer must be able to recover the difference in a reasonable amount of time.  Quite simply, it’s a way for people to not only save money but to also protect our climate by using superior energy-efficient products.