Demand for energy efficient vinyl replacement windows Houston projects are at an all time high. With the current economic status of the country, we need all the savings we can get. That’s exactly what energy efficient windows do – help homeowners save.
Background
Windows are thermal ports where temperature is transferred constantly. When heat is transferred indoors, your cooling system works twice as hard to keep the household temperature lower. What energy efficient windows do is prevent this transference from happening, effectively lowering your cooling bills.
Energy Efficient
One way to make sure that you get energy efficient windows in your home is to ask your contractor to use Energy Star certified replacement windows for your project. Products with the Energy Star seal have been tested and proven to lower energy consumption.
However, the energy efficiency of windows still varies greatly. This is where the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) comes in. Before the NFRC was established, there was no organization which provided a standard for windows and other fenestration products.
The NFRC Energy Rating Label
The NFRC Energy Labels make it possible for homeowners and vinyl replacement windows Houston companies to check just how energy efficient a window is. While there is a multitude of evaluation methods used by various other testing firms, the benchmarks set in place by the NFRC are one of the strictest. This is why its label is still found on windows and other fenestration today.
Examining the NFRC (National Fenestration Rating Council) label can tell you a great deal about how well a window can help you save electricity. An NFRC label has 4 rating factors. These are:
- U Factor
- Solar Heat Gain Coefficient SHGC
- Visible Light Transmittance
- Air Leakage
These energy rating factors are the four aspects which directly affect the energy efficiency of a fenestration product, while the ratings show how good a material measures up to standards. As a general rule, the lower the ratings for each of these factors, the more energy efficient a window is.
