ENERGY STAR-Qualified Windows
CitiQuiet soundproof windows are ENERGY STAR qualified.
ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy geared towards helping consumers lower their energy costs while protecting the environment. CitiQuiet uses energy efficient products and employs energy saving practices to accomplish theses goals. Earning the ENERGY STAR rating means CitiQuiet meets the high standards of the EPA and the Department of Energy without sacrificing the high quality you have come to expect from our windows.
To save energy with your windows first you need an understanding of how and why certain windows work while others don’t work as well.
Energy is lost through your windows in three ways:
- Infiltration: These are the cracks and crevices that allow cold air in and warm air out in the winter months and the reverse in the summer months
- Convection: This is the process of heat transfer that involves the motion of fluid air moving towards the window glass and through the panes. Heat will flow from a higher temperature to a lower temperature
- Radiation: This is the transfer of heat from one separate surface to another
Today's modern energy efficient windows will reduce infiltration, convection, and radiation through a number of technological advancements. Double pane and even triple pane windows create greater insulating barriers. Adding features such as Low E glass to reduce the suns heat from entering the living area by penetrating the glass in the summer, but allowing its heat to penetrate in the winter is a perfect example of reducing energy costs.
Argon or Krypton gas injected into the dead air space that exists between the panes of glass further insulates the window. Another key ingredient for insulating is the manner in which the glass is fused together. In the past the glass had metal connections from one to another, (spacers), now the spacer is insulated with thermoplastics which eliminates seal failure and doesn’t allow the glass to conduct cold.
Ultimately the goal of utilizing windows with lower U values, i.e.; .16 will decrease energy consumption, increases savings, and keep you more comfortable.
Three key measures are used to report window energy performance.
U-value (or "U-factor") is the measure of the amount of heat (in Btus) that moves through a square foot of window in an hour for every degree Fahrenheit difference in temperature across the window.
The lower the U-value rating, the better the overall insulating value of the window.
Solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) is the measure of the amount of solar energy that passes through the window; typical values range from 0.4 to 0.9, and the higher the SHGC the greater the solar energy that passes through the window system.
Windows with high SHGC (above 0.7) are designed for colder climates, while windows with low coefficients are designed for hotter climates. Air infiltration or air leakage is given in terms of cubic feet of air per minute per foot of window edge. The best windows have air leakage rating between 0.01 and 0.06 cfm/ft.
