According to the Department of Energy, Energy Star labeled products can cut your energy bills by up to 30 percent. Most consumers understand this and want to make upgrades to their homes in order to reduce their enegry bills. Yet, with every manufacturer eager to claim Energy Star logos on their products, how can consumers tell the actual energy saving performance that a product stands to offer?
The National Fenestration Rating Council is an independent agency organized to help consumers quantify thermal performance. If you are considering buying new vinyl windows for your home, you should look for th NFRC label and compare the actual thermal performance ratings of the windows.
When gauging thermal performance of a window, there are three factors to pay close attention to:
- U-Factor
- Solar Heat Gain Coefficient
- Visible Transmittance
Condensation Resistance is another important factor, but it doesn't directly relate to energy savings.
U-Factor is the rate of heat loss of a window. The lower the U-value, the greater a window's resistance to heat flow and insulating value.
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient indicates a window's shading ability. Here again, the lower the window's solar heat gain coefficient, the less solar heat it transmits and the greater shading it produces.
Visible Transmittance measures the amount of light that passes through a window. This is important in order to prevent fading in your carpets and furniture. Visible transmittance ranges from 0 (no light) to 1 (all light).
We are happy to answer any questions that you may have about the thermal performance of our vinyl windows. You can contact us by phone, email or comment on this blog. For more information on a window's thermal performance visit the National Fenestration Rating Council.