Highly Energy Efficient Windows with a U-Value below .3 & Solar Heat Gain Co-efficient below.27

Low –E windows, what are they?  Low-E stands for Low Energy transfer.  That sounds good, but not all low-E windows are the same.  Windows are rated in two ways concerning energy transfer.  U-value is the insulating factor of a window.  Solar heat gain is the window’s ability to block heat radiating through it. 

A window’s U-value is comparable to the “R” value of insulation.  A typical window has a U-value of R-1, a good window has a value of R-2, and an Insight Homes window has a value of R-4.  This may not sound like a lot of insulation compared to R-19 in your walls, but it is at least 100% better than that of a typical window. 

To understand Solar Heat gain, think about standing in front of a window on a sunny day.  Your air conditioner has to compensate for that heat you feel radiating from your window.  The lower the “solar heat gain co-efficient” rating of a window, the less heat transfers through.  In an Insight Home, our windows are rated at .27.  What this means to you is our windows block 93% of the solar heat gain.  A typical window blocks about 30% of the heat transfer.  A low-E window, or ENERGY STAR® rated window, blocks about 45% of the heat transfer.  Now, think about this.  Approximately 18% of your homes wall surface area is made up of windows.  That’s a significant amount, especially when you are talking about energy loss through heating and cooling.  There’s an additional bonus.  Ultra violet light is what fades your upholstery, carpet, and window coverings.  Because of the coating on our windows, fading is greatly reduced or eliminated.  Stop by one of our model homes for a demonstration.