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Benefits of energy-efficient windows
Research into energy-efficient windows for a home renovation discovers some surprising benefits.
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I had hoped that the Efficient Windows Collaboration would be a good source to find answers to some of my more pedestrian questions. Unfortunately, I found the site to be way too technical for me.
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Alexandra writes about the 'green' and budget-friendly renovation of a 100-year-old farmhouse in south-central Connecticut.
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It’s probably best for professionals who don’t have to look up “U-Factor” when trying to understand how an energy efficient-window works. (Which, by the way, according to the website Ecomii is:
…. a rating given to a window based on how much heat loss it allows. U-factors generally range from 0.2 (very little heat loss) to 1.2 (high heat loss). The U-factor is the inverse of the R-value of a window, which measures a window’s insulating value. Thus, a high R-value is the same as a low U-factor, and means that a window does not allow much heat to escape.
So I turned to a much simpler to understand source: Bob Siekierski, the windows expert at Shagbark True Value, our local hardware store. (In our effort to renovate Sheepdog in as “sustainable” manner as possible, we’re also trying to use as many local suppliers as possible.)
When I first asked Bob about windows, he said: “They’re just glass and sticks.” Call that Connecticut dry humor.
In the next post: Bob’s explanation of how energy-efficient windows work – and why you don’t have to clean them. (And coming soon: whether we're using a closed-loop or an open-loop geothermal system, as well as what each of them means.)
Editor's note: Alexandra Marks will be blogging twice a week about her green and budget-friendly restoration of a 1902 farmhouse in Connecticut. See a photo gallery of the early days of the project by clicking here. You can read all she's written about the project so far by clicking here and then looking for Sheep Dog Hollow under Topics on the right side of the page.
You'll find numerous articles about the environment at the Monitor’s main environment page. Also, check out our Bright Green blog archive and our RSS feed.
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