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Energy efficient windows are manufactured so that heat is kept inside the home in winter and outside the home in summer. This reduces heating and cooling costs, minimizes energy consumption impacting the environment, and limits the size of the HVAC equipment required for keeping the home comfortable. In climates that mainly require cooling, windows have represented a major source of unwanted heat gain. In recent years, windows have undergone a technological revolution. It is now possible to significantly reduce solar heat gain and improve comfort while providing clear views and daylight. In warm regions, this means that high-performance windows can face into the sun if desired without great energy penalties - although shading techniques remain important.
ClimaGuard is comprised of eleven optical tuned layers, providing optimal climate control, neutral aesthetics and plenty of natural light. These coatings consist of multiple layers of metals whose combined thickness is only 1/1000th the thickness of human hair!
Daylight and view are two fundamental attributes of a window. Unfortunately, windows are also the source of significant solar heat gain during times when it is unwanted. Traditional solutions to reducing solar heat gain, such as tinted glazing or shades, mean that the amount of light is reduced as well. ClimaGuard with low-solar-gain (spectrally selective) coatings can provide better solar heat gain reduction than tinted glass, with a minimal loss of visible light. This also means that views can be clearer and unobstructed.
Many organic materials, such as carpet, fabrics, paper, artwork, paints, and wood may fade upon exposure to sunlight. Window selection can influence the type and intensity of transmitted radiation. The most harmful radiation in sunlight is the ultraviolet (UV) rays, which are the most energetic and thus most likely to break chemical bonds, leading to fading and degradation. Glass blocks all UV radiation below 300 nm, but transmits UV rays from 300-380 nm. Coatings on glass can reduce the UV rays transmitted by up to 80%.
Energy-efficient windows improve comfort within homes by providing a warmer interior surface during the cold winter months, preventing the living space near windows from getting uncomfortably cold. If inefficient window performance cools down the air near windows, the cold air floats to the ground. This feels like a cold draft, even though the window may be perfectly sealed.
By reducing the need for air conditioning, energy-efficient windows that control solar heat gain also reduce the risk of possible health effects from air conditioning - for instance, the overuse of air conditioning can cause headaches or aggravate the effects of arthritis and neuritis.
High-performance windows create warmer interior glass surfaces, reducing frost and condensation. Energy efficient windows with warm edge technology and insulating frames have such a warm interior surface that condensation on any interior surface is significantly reduced under all conditions.