Benefits of ENERGY STAR Qualified Windows, Doors, and Skylights

Looking to replace your windows, doors, or skylights? ENERGY STAR has listed the benefits to energy efficient home products that not only reduce your carbon footprint but also saves you money on energy costs.

1) Save Money – and More. Choose ENERGY STAR Certified Products.

Installing ENERGY STAR certified windows, doors, and skylights can shrink energy bills – and carbon footprints – by an average of 12 percent nationwide, compared to non-certified products. For tyical homes, choose ENERGY STAR and save on average*:

• $101-$583 and 1,006- 6,205 pounds of CO2 which is equivalent to 51 gto 317 gallons of gasoline a year when replacing single-pane windows.
• $27-$197 and 246-2,001 pounds of CO2 which is equivalent to 13 to 102 gallons of gasoline a year when replacing double-pane, clear glass windows.

*Ranges are based on the average savings among homes in modeled cities. Actual savings will vary based on local climate conditions, utility rates, and individual home characteristics.

Upgrade to ENERGY STAR – ANNUAL SAVINGS

Click here to get savings in your city. Savings estimates are based on RESFEN 6.0 calculations performed by D&R International in support of ENERGY STAR. View methodology.

2) Get Comfortable.

Comfort. It’s the essential quality of home. ENERGY STAR certified windows, doors, and skylights do more than just lower energy bills – they deliver comfort that other products just can’t match.

PROTECTION FROM WINTER CHILLS

On cold winter nights, do you avoid seats near the window? The cold, inside surface of an inefficient window pulls heat away from your body, so you can feel chilly in a sweater with the thermostat at 70 degrees. With ENERGY STAR certified windows, the interior glass stays warmer, so you can enjoy your window seat even when the temperature outside dips well below freezing.*

*Source: Residential Windows. Carmody, Selkowitz, Arasteh, and Heschong. 2007.

SHIELDING FROM SUMMER HEAT

Do some of your rooms feel like a sauna in the summer? A standard double-pane window allows approximately 75 percent of the sun’s heat into your home. With ENERGY STAR certified windows you can stay cool summer long. Most ENERGY STAR certified windows reduce the “heat gain” into your home more than typical windows do, without reducing the visible light. You get the light you need without the uncomfortable heat.

3) Protect Your Valuables

Drapes, wood floors, a favorite photograph: all things can fade or discolor after repeated exposure to direct sunlight. Whether their value is monetary or sentimental, you want to protect your belongings from fading and discoloring.

ENERGY STAR certified windows have coasting that keep out the summer heat and act like sunscreen for your house, protecting your valuables from harmful, fading ultraviolet light without noticeably reducing visible light. These special coatings reduce fading by up to 75 percent*

*Source: Residential Windows. Carmody, Selkowitz, Arasteh, and Heschong. 2007.

4) Certified Performance

What is a carbon footprint? Your personal carbon footprint measures the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions caused by your activities. In includes CO2 emissions from such things as driving your car or flying a plane, the manufacture and distribution of the products you buy, and turning on the lights in your home. A carbon footprint is usually measured in pounds or tons of CO2 per year.

Home energy use accounts for about one-quarter of your carbon footprint, but this can vary depending on the kinds of energy sources available to power your home. ENERGY STAR calculates carbon savings for ENERGY STAR certified windows, doors and skylights based on the mix of fuels in a region and the estimated energy use for a typical home.

Sources: ENERGY STAR, EPA Power Profiler, and Carbon Footprint, Ltd.