Want more from your windows? Ask for ENERGY STAR.
ENERGY STAR-qualified windows, doors, and skylights save you energy and money, increase the comfort of your home, and protect your valuable possessions from sun damage. They are also better for the environment because lowering your energy use means less air pollution from power plants.
Installing ENERGY STAR-qualified windows lowers energy bills and saves you money over single-paned and even new double-paned, clear-glass windows.
Save Money and Energy — Choose ENERGY STAR Qualified Windows, Doors, and Skylights
Installing ENERGY STAR qualified vinyl replacement windows lowers energy bills and saves you money over single-pane and even new double-paned, clear-glass windows.
For a typical home, choose ENERGY STAR and save:
- $126–$465 a year when replacing single-pane windows
- $27–$111 a year over double-pane, clear glass replacement windows
ENERGY STAR-qualified windows protect from the winter cold and summer sun, while also reducing condensation and interior fading.
More Than Just Dollar Savings
New ENERGY STAR qualified windows can help reduce your energy bill up to 15 percent. Estimated savings vary from region to region depending on current heating and cooling costs and are generally greatest where there are hot summers, cold winters or both.
In addition, ENERGY STAR qualified windows, doors, and skylights 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.
BENEFITS WHEN IT’S COLD
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 qualified windows, the interior glass stays warmer, so you can enjoy your window seat even when the temperature outside dips well below freezing.
REDUCED CONDENSATION
On winter mornings, is there fog on the inside or the outside of your windows? If an inefficient window or window frame gets too cold, indoor moisture can condense or even freeze on the interior surface and then pool on the sill. Over time, chronic condensation can damage sills, cause paint to crack, and encourage the growth of mold. Advanced technologies enable ENERGY STAR qualified windows to keep the interior of the glass and frame warmer, reducing the potential for condensation and ensuring a clearer view on winter mornings.
BENEFITS WHEN IT’S WARM
SHIELDING FROM SUMMER HEAT
In summer, do some of your rooms feel like a sauna? A typical double-paned, clear-glass window allows approximately 75 percent of the sun’s heat into your home. Most ENERGY STAR qualified windows transfer much less heat, typically without reducing visible light. You get the light you need without the uncomfortable heat.
SAFEGUARDING VALUABLE INTERIORS
Your favorite photograph, your child’s artwork and even your couch can fade or discolor after repeated exposure to direct sunlight. Most Low-E coatings, the same coatings that keep out the summer heat, can reduce fading by up to 75 percent. These coatings act like sunscreen for your house, blocking damaging ultraviolet rays without noticeably reducing visible light.
Thanks to a host of new technologies, ENERGY STAR-qualified windows, doors, and skylights keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, making you more comfortable.
Every ENERGY STAR-qualified window, door, and skylight is independently certified to perform at levels that meet or exceed strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Shopping for new windows, doors, and skylights can be a confusing process. ENERGY STAR makes it simple! Follow these five steps to ensure your windows, doors, and skylights are the most energy efficient and deliver savings and comfort you'll enjoy.
PROPER INSTALLATION
To get the most out of your windows, doors, and skylights, have them installed by trained professionals according to manufacturer instructions. Otherwise, your warranty may be void. When hiring a contractor, interview candidates and ask for references. If installation requires scraping lead-based paint, be sure to take proper precautions.
WINDOW ORIENTATION
When building a new home, or planning a major addition, consider this: orienting windows to the south and using roof overhangs can help reduce energy use by providing shade from the sun in the summer and solar heat gain in the winter. Overhangs are much less effective against the lower angles of the east and west sun, therefore reducing the size and number or east and west facing windows can help reduce energy use.
PLANT A TREE
Strategically planting deciduous tress near south, east, and west-facing windows will provide needed shade in the summer, but let in the sun's heat during the winter.
HOME SEALING
If you add up all of the hidden air leaks in your home, they can equal a hole the size of an open window! To maximize home efficiency, seal all the gaps where air can leak in or out, including those around windows, doors, wiring holes, recessed lights, plumbing vents, your attic hatch, and more. Stopping drafts can make you feel more comfortable and reduce energy bills.
Federal Tax Credits
On February 17, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009. This bill extends and modifies the tax credits for windows, doors, and skylights established in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
The following guidance is not intended as legal advice, and you should consult a tax professional with specific questions:
- To qualify for the tax credit, windows, doors, and skylights placed in service after February 17, 2009 must have a U-factor and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) less than or equal to 0.30. You can find the U-factor and SHGC on the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) label. NFRC is the only federally recognized organization for determining the energy performance of windows, doors and skylights. Please see the NFRC website for information concerning product performance.
- Qualifying products purchased between February 17, 2009 and December 31, 2010 are eligible for a tax credit equal to 30 percent of the product cost. The maximum amount of homeowner credit for all improvements combined (including roofing, insulation, HVAC, and water heaters) is $1,500 during 2009 and 2010.
- For products purchased between January 1, 2009 and February 16, 2009, the terms of the tax credit are less clear. The Internal Revenue Service will likely clarify these terms in guidance documents, which are expected to be released later this year.
