A home’s windows are one of the primary ways that heat energy is lost; if you want to save
money on your heating bills, keep your home warmer and quieter, and decrease your overall
carbon footprint, it is in your best interests to install energy efficient windows or glazing.

Ways to Increase Energy Efficiency with Windows
There are two kinds of window glazing: double and triple glazing. Double glazed windows
have two glass sheets, with a gap between the sheets, which provides insulation; triple glazed
windows have three sheets instead of two. Contrary to what many people believe, triple glazing
isn’t necessarily the most energy efficient option. Both triple and double glazing increase the
energy efficiency of a home. There are many different kinds of energy-saving windows, in many
kinds of styles and frame materials. How well the window keeps heat from escaping through
them will depend on many factors, such as how much sunlight passes through the glass and how
well it keeps air from leaking in and out. Many window manufacturers rate their products’ energy efficienc
y in a system similar to the Energy Star rating. Windows that have an “A” rating are the most efficient.
Check the window’s energy label prior to purchasing.

Double Glazed Window Benefits

• Lower energy bills. By replacing all the single glazed windows in a home
  with double glazed ones, the savings per year in energy costs would average about €150.
• Smaller carbon footprint. Since you use less fuel with energy efficient windows, your carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint, or impact, is smaller. CO2 is a gas produced by, among other methods, the burning of fossil fuels for energy.  These emissions contribute to climate change. Everyone should strive to keep their carbon footprint as small as possible.
• Greater comfort at home. By using energy-efficient window glazing, less heat is lost through
  the windows, and fewer draughts can pass through, causing cold spots.
• Less noise. Thicker and better-sealed windows allow less noise pollution to enter the home.
• Less condensation. Better windows have less condensation buildup.

Every home’s individual savings will be different, depending on the window size, type, material, and installation.

Potential Savings
The £135 per year figure is an estimate based on a “typical” home: three bedrooms, semi-detached,
with gas heat. In order to arrive at that number, it is assumed that the regular windows are replaced
with double-glazed, B-rated windows. Individual savings will vary greatly, dependent on the price of
heating fuel, as well as specifics like the size, location, and other details of the home’s construction.
Besides saving money, there is the carbon savings as well, which in this example would be around
680 kilograms of CO2 per year.

Choosing the Correct Replacement Windows for Your Home
Since there are so many options to choose from, it can be difficult to make a decision about the right
windows. To make the process simpler, ask these questions:

What energy rating does the window have?
Check the energy efficiency of a particular window type by looking at its Energy Saving Trust
Recommended logo, as well as the BFRC energy rating label. The EST gives its endorsement to
any window that is rated at a B or higher; the higher this rating, the more efficient it is. While it isn’t
mandatory for manufacturers to put these labels on their windows, those that do label and score well
are the best bets. Choose a window that has a higher rating, so you know you will get your money’s worth.

What kind of glazing do you want/need?
Double glazed windows have an insulating space between their twin layers of about 16 mm.
Triple glazed windows are also available. You can get great energy efficiency with A-rated
double glazed windows and triple glazed models.

Which type of glass?
The best energy efficiency is found in double glazed windows with low emissivity, or Low-E, glass.
These windows feature an invisible metal oxide coating, usually on one of the internal panes, next to
the insulating gap. This coating allows light and heat to enter but reduces the heat that can escape.

What is between the panes?
Extremely energy efficient windows may fill the gaps between the double or triple glass sheets
with an inert gas, such as argon, krypton, or xenon. These provide extra insulation.

What keeps the panes separated?
Double glazed windows feature pane spacers around the inside edges, which keep the glass panes
from touching. More efficient windows have pane spacers that have very little, if no, metal. These are
called “warm edge” pane spacers.

What frame is best?
Select a window frame that suits your particular tastes and your home’s needs. Material is not an
obstacle, since there are energy efficient windows in every material type:

• uPVC is the most common window frame material, because it is long-lasting and recyclable
• Wood frames have less environmental impact, but they need more maintenance
• Aluminium and steel frames have a slim profile and are very enduring, as well as being recyclable
• Composite window frames feature an inner wooden frame that has been covered with plastic or aluminium, which decreases maintenance and weatherproofs the frame

What ventilation is needed?
Due to their airtight seals, replacement windows often cause condensation buildup. Without proper
ventilation, this condensation can accumulate and cause moisture damage to the room. Many energy
efficient windows have trickle vents in their frame, which allows controlled ventilation.

Window Replacement and Maintenance
Double glazed windows can endure two decades and more, so it’s unlikely you’ll need to upgrade your
home’s windows often. This being the case, it’s worth it to install windows that have a top energy rating,
so you get more value out of your purchase. Maintenance of replacement windows isn’t a constant issue,
but it does happen. Sometimes the seal between the two glass sheets might fail, leading too
condensation building up between the panes. When this happens, the glass unit will probably need
to be replaced, but this can frequently be accomplished without having to replace the frame, too.
Just like with installation, only trust a registered installer or one who has been thoroughly checked out through the building control process.

By replacing your home’s old, inefficient windows you will save money and decrease carbon emissions.
It is a good investment because it improves your home’s value, pays for itself shortly, and makes your
home more comfortable. Purchasing double or triple glazed windows with a high energy efficiency rating
is a smart move that helps keep energy costs down and betters the environment.

Summers seem to be getting warmer every year. Many people have installed central air conditioning systems into their home and use them as an attempt to beat the heat. While they can work well they do cause a jump in a home’s hydro usage. If you are looking for a way to keep your home comfortable without a corresponding spike in hydro usage here are some alternatives that you may want to consider.

Tried and true designs may make for cooler homes
Some traditional design methods can actually help keep a home cool naturally. They were used for many years although they have become much less popular in the last century or so. If you are building a new home or are renovating an existing structure you may want to work them into your design.

Ventilation can be the key to a cooler home
Do not underestimate the impact that ventilation can have on your home. In the past, homes were designed and positioned so that they took advantage of the natural airflow around them. These worked for several reasons. The first is that they helped evaporate moisture (in this case, sweat) off of the skin. This makes people feel much cooler. In order to take advantage of this in your own home you should position the building or the windows in such a fashion that there is a decent amount of air flow in a home.

In older homes, there were often large windows that were positioned across from one another. Copying this design can help ensure your home is cooled down naturally. Placing windows on adjacent walls can also help to increase air flow although it will not be to the same extent.

The stack effect can cool your home
You may also want to consider using something known as the “stack effect” to cool your home naturally. Heat rises and taking advantage of this tendency can help keep a home much cooler. In order to take advantage of the stack effect it is important that you place openings at the top and bottom of an area. This allows air to move in lower down and push hot air up and out of a room.

Energy efficient windows can also help you keep your home cooler
You can also help to reduce your home’s energy use and increase the cooling effect by installing energy efficient windows. These will help trap more cool air inside a home and may reduce how hard your air conditioning system needs to work in order to keep a home at a comfortable temperature.

In a house where there is not sufficient insulation 30% of the energy generated can be lost through walls, roof, floor, pipes, windows and air leakages. To prevent this loss adequate insulation should be applied where necessary. Here are some insulation recommendations:

Walls:

Cavity wall insulation

If your home was built after 1920 but not in the last 10 years then it might be an un-insulated cavity wall house. If there is a small gap or `cavity’ between the two layers of walls, they are `cavity walls’. Cavity wall insulation means that, the gap between the walls is filled with an insulation material and it blocks the heat transfer between the house and the outside. Cavity wall insulation can also help to reduce condensation inside the house if it is a problem on external walls. Heat always flows from a warm area to a cold one. In winter, if outside is colder, you are going to lose the heat you generated in your house more rapidly. Cavity wall insulation slows down the rate at which heat is transferred and keeps as much heat as possible inside your home for as long as possible. How does this happen? Insulation makes it much more difficult for heat to pass through your walls by filling up the cavity with a material with lots of air pockets in it. These pockets significantly reduce what is known as your walls’ U value – which is a measure of how quickly they lose heat – from around 1.5 to 0.5 W/m2K . The lower the U value, the slower heat is lost – and the less energy you will need to keep your home at your desired temperature. You may sometimes see references to an R-value. This is a measure of thermal resistance and is the inverse of a U-value – the higher a U-value is the lower the R-value is.

Solid Wall Insulation

Solid walls can cause even more heat loss than cavity walls; the only way to reduce this heat loss is to insulate them on the inside or the outside. This will help stop heat being lost from your home and help to prevent condensation on the walls and ceilings. There are two types of solid wall insulation: external and internal.

• External wall insulation
  It is adding a decorative weather-proof insulating treatment to the outside of your wall. The thickness of the insulation needs to be between 50 and 100 mm and is usually installed where there are severe heating problems or the exterior of the building requires some form of other repair work providing the opportunity of adding insulation.
• Internal wall insulation
  Solid walls can also be insulated by applying internal wall insulation. Types include insulation/plaster board laminates or wooden battens in-filled with insulation. Insulation/plaster board laminates usually consist of plasterboard backed with insulating material typically to a total thickness of up to 90mm. The construction of the laminates reduces the amount of heat which would otherwise pass through into the wall and outside.

Floor Insulation
Another location where you lose heat is the floor of your house. You lose the heat you produce directly to the foundation of your house or in other words to the soil or the gap between the soil and your house. Timber floors can be insulated by lifting the floorboards and laying mineral wool insulation supported by netting between the joists.

Roof Insulation
In an un-insulated home a quarter of your heat is lost through the roof. Insulating your loft is a simple and effective way to reduce your heating bills. Without proper insulation a lot of the valuable, expensive energy you use to heat your home will be lost through the loft. Loft insulation is an effective way to save energy and money at home. A well insulated house keeps warmth exactly where you need it – indoors.

Draught Proofing
If you can feel cold air coming in around the windows in your home it means warm air is escaping. In draught proofing simply gaps are filled and the amount of cold air entering your home is decreased. There are several types of materials available from brushes, foams and sealants to strips and shaped rubber or plastic.

Hot water tank and pipe insulation
Insulating your hot water cylinder is one of the simplest and easiest ways to save energy and money.

Both tank and pipe insulation keeps your water hot for longer by reducing the amount of heat produced. So you can consider lower bills for water heating.

Double Glazing
Double glazing can cut heat loss through windows by half. Double glazing works by trapping air between two panes of glass creating an insulating barrier that reduces heat loss, noise and condensation. So you will reduce the amount of heat you lose through windows.

Briefly, providing insulation at all points that you may lose heat will have significant benefits regarding your heating costs. Insulation job can for small applications be a DIY job but for larger applications such as double glazing, cavity wall insulation etc. you need to consult an expert. If you want to get information about our solutions for insulation all around your house you can contact us here.

When multiple glass panes are fitted in a single unit this system is called insulated glazing or double glazed unit. They are used for heat and sound insulation with the help of the generally inert gas between the two glass layers. The inert gas does not conduct heat and sound waves so insulation is maintained. The importance of this system is that they are still transparent systems and this makes them convenient to use in windows or ther glass surfaces.

The maximum insulating efficiency is determined by the thickness of the space between the glass units, i.e. the space containing the gas. If the space is too small then heat loss by radiation may be experienced. If the space is too large this time heat loss due to travelling of gas within the gap can be seen. The gap should be normally between 12 mm and 20 mm.

The cost of having single layer glasses in windows or glass doors can be as high as 25% extra heating cost. This means that you may be wasting one fourth of the fuel you buy just because it is transferred to the cold air outside through your glass exits such as windows and doors. The larger the area of the surfaces, naturally, the larger will be the loss.

A house with single layered glasses will also have a poor BER rating which is a labelling system for your house’s energy efficiency. All energy related elements in a house is taken into consideration while BERs are prepared. If you are spending more fuel than you need due to poor insulated walls, roofs, windows and doors this will cause a reduction in your BER report.

Glazed windows are not only required for heating purposes. Heat exchange due to radiation occurs also in summer but this time in the opposite direction. In other words, when you cool your house the hot air outside will start heating the cool air inside your house. And this will cause your spending more electricity to keep your house at a desired temperature level. The rates for winter are valid for summer months as well, i.e. with single layer glasses you will need 25% more electricity to cool your house.

Making a simple change in your glass exits will help you gain back the amount you lose due to poor insulation. Without a good insulated house all the changes you make in your house for being more energy efficient will be useless to some extent. You will definitely loose what you produced, hot air or cool air.

Double glazed windows also come with modern and stylish frames, they provide higher safety, acoustic insulation and you can use attractive glasses of your choice. Moreover, they are extremely easy to install.

If you need assistance from beginning to the end of your new glass insulation job you can contact us here.

Windows can be both beautiful and practical additions to a home. They let in natural light and fresh air as well. Unfortunately, while they can be beautiful the wrong windows can actually raise your heating costs. This is because poor-quality windows or those that are old or worn out can actually allow heat to escape from your home quickly and this can raise your heating bill much more rapidly than just about anything else can.

If you notice that you are feeling drafts or cold air moving around your windows you need to consider changing them. If cold air is able to come into your home then hot air can get out. By replacing your windows you will be able to cut down on your heating bills as well as adding value and beauty to your home. Many purchasers will pass a house by if it does not have newer windows installed simply because they can make such a difference on your heating bill.

When you decide that it is time to change your windows here are a few things that you should consider.

How do newer windows prevent heat loss?

Newer windows are able to prevent heat loss by using two pieces of glass with a layer of clear gas sandwiched in between them. This layer of gas makes it easier to keep heat inside or outside of a home as the temperature dictates. This means that the right windows will not only make it easier for you to keep your home warm in winter it will make it easier for you to cool it in the summer as well.

When you replace windows you will usually be able to add insulation around them as well. If your home is poorly insulated this extra insulation may be enough to slow heat loss even a little. You can ensure that there are no bare areas where air can move in and out of a home unchecked.

How to shop for new windows

If you speak to qualified installation experts they should be able to recommend a style of window that will help you retain heat and keep your home’s temperature at a comfortable level while reducing your energy bill. You may want to consider a window that has a good E-rating as this means that the window is much better at preventing heat loss than a window with a poor E-rating. Although these windows may be pricy you will often find that lower utility bills will allow the windows to pay for themselves.