More Than Just Dollar Savings
ENERGY STAR qualified windows, doors, and skylights in Four Seasons Sunrooms do more than just
lower energy bills – they deliver more comfort, create less condensation, and protect your valuables
from sun damage better than conventional clear-glass double-paned alternatives. By lowering your
energy use, these windows are also better for the environment: The less energy you use, the
less air pollution power plants produce.
Protection from Winter Chills
On cold winter nights, do you avoid seats near the window? Do drafts chase you from room to room?
When the mercury drops to single digits, even tightly sealed traditional double-paned windows can
still make you shiver. 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
qualified windows, the inside window glass stays warmer, so you can relax in your window seat
even when the temperature outside dips well below freezing.
Shielding from Summer Heat
In summer, do your windows seem like giant heat lamps? Are you denied your view because you
have to keep your blinds perpetually closed? A typical double-paned, clear-glass window
allows approximately 75 percent of the sun's heat into your home, almost as much as a
single-paned window. Windows qualified for ENERGY STAR in the North/Central, South/Central
and Southern ENERGY STAR Climate Zones transmit only 30 to 55 percent of the sun's heat,
usually without noticeably reducing the visible light. You get the light but a lot less heat.
So you can relax and enjoy the view in summer too.
Protection for Valuable Interiors
Your favorite photograph, half a loveseat, your Persian rug, even your flooring can fade
or discolor after repeated exposure to direct sunlight. An ENERGY STAR qualified window
with Low or Moderate Solar Gain Low-E coatings--the same coatings that keep out the
summer heat--can reduce fading by up to 75 percent. These coatings are like sunscreen
for your house, reducing damaging ultraviolet light without noticeably reducing visible
light.
Information courtesy of the
U.S. Department of Energy
