The bungalow style homes had brick facades over concrete block exterior walls and no insulation in the walls. These single-family detached homes featured the original single-pane windows typical of construction from the 1920s through the 1960s. 5 This study focused on the difference that low-E storm windows made in reducing residential heating requirements for six Chicago homes that were eligible for the city's low-income weatherization program. In 2006, HUD's Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), the National Association of Home Builders Research Center, and DOE completed a field investigation under actual conditions. The research team found that the "addition of low-E storm windows to the prime window provided performance very similar to that of the replacement window, and expected differences in performance were only detectable through a sensitive fitting procedure (essentially, a long-term averaging)" (p.14). Under simulated conditions, net heat flow comparisons were made based on various prime/storm combinations (prime alone, prime/low-E external storm, prime/ low-E internal storm, prime/regular external storm) with the low-E replacement window. This transparent coating not only reduces heat emissivity but also blocks out the ultraviolet light that fades and damages home furnishings. In 2002, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory compared the efficiency of different prime/storm window combinations with that of a replacement window treated with a low-emissivity (low-E) coating of metal or metallic oxide to reduce heat loss or gain. For these reasons, DOE states that homeowners can reduce heat loss by 25 to 50 percent by installing interior or exterior storm windows. A second advantage is a decrease in the air infiltration, or leakage, common to older windows. One benefit of a storm window is the creation of dead air space between it and the prime window, which reduces the heat conduction that normally leads to heat loss in winter and to solar heat gain in the summer. 2 Storm windows are typically mounted on the inside or outside of single-pane windows to improve thermal efficiency. Department of Energy (DOE) advises consumers that the best way to improve a home's energy efficiency is with new, energy-efficient windows, but if one is on a tight budget, storm windows are a less expensive option. 1 Researchers evaluated window performance in these tests based on annual energy costs, peak demand, winter and summer thermal comfort, and condensation resistance. As evidence of the choices in window technologiesĪvailable to satisfy a range of climate demands, we need only note the 34 different generic window types - various glazing materials and designs combined with four frame types - that have been tested by the Center for Sustainable Building Research at the University of Minnesota in each of the four ENERGY STAR ® climate zones. Fortunately, advances in window technology offer far more solutions to energy loss than ever before. The National Association of Home Builders Research Center estimates that 43 percent of American homes have single-pane windows that would benefit from cost-effective improvements. So keep that in mind and try to budget a little more, before starting your Double Pane Window project.Windows provide daylight, ventilation, and solar heating to the inside of our homes, but they are also potential sources of energy loss that can lead to excessive air conditioning and heating costs.
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