Have you bought highly energy-efficient appliances for your house? Your aim is to save your electric bills every month. But, do you check energy efficiency while buying doors and windows? As the windows and doors are big openings, you have to create a better seal around them to prevent the mix of outside and internal air. So, you need to know the potential of windows and doors to gain or lose heat and bring sunlight into your room. Let us provide a comprehensive guide to interpreting energy efficiency ratings for doors and windows.
Before reading door/window energy efficiency, you should understand some relevant terms.
U-value
U-value tells how much heat is lost through the door or window. To say precisely, the number represents the heat energy level passing through the window or door. Thus, the lower U-value means less heat can pass through. You will not find anything with 0 U-value. Thus, most windows and doors have energy efficiency ratings ranging from 0.25 to 1.25. A lower value means better performance.
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient
The concept of SHGC is contrary to the U-value. It helps you retain heat inside your house. So, if you live in a hotter climatic region, you should check the SHGC. The lower SHGC value will show a better performance during the summer season. Windows or doors with lower SHGC can radiate minimal heat. It is an important rating as sun rays can heat the room while magnified through your window’s glass. You can look for a double-glazed windows specialist in the Mornington Peninsula and learn about the ratings.
Sunlight transmittance
Windows and doors have a glazed design, which allows them to transmit sun rays into your house. Energy performance standards are measurable with visible transmittance and light-to-solar gain.
VT refers to the fraction of sunlight’s visible spectrum, transmitted through the glazed windows. So, if your door or window has a higher VT, it leads to more visible light transmission. The value of VT is not more than 1. Your house’s daylighting needs enable you to determine the VT.
LSG represents the ratio between SHGC and VT. It also measures the relative efficiency of various glazing types in daylight transmission. The higher LSG indicates the transmission of more light without adding high heat. However, you may not always find this rating while purchasing energy-efficient doors and windows.
Other ratings that you must check for your windows/doors
The design pressure ratings indicate the durability of your door and window. It tells about the pressure level needed to damage the item.
Moreover, the air leakage ratings represent how much air can escape from your windows and doors. Air sealing is an important factor for good insulation. The value must not be higher than 0.3 to ensure a better air seal.
You can now search for the best energy-efficient doors and windows that reduce heat gain or loss. Some high-performance windows and doors ensure good sound insulation and minimise the condensation level in your home.
