For the Home
Energy efficient choices can save families about a third on
their energy bill and similar savings on greenhouse gas emissions,
without sacrificing features, style, or comfort. ENERGY STAR helps
you make the energy efficient choice.
- When looking for new household products, look for the ENERGY
STAR seal. They meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the
EPA and US Department of Energy.
- When looking to make larger improvements to your home, the EPA
offers tools and resources to help you plan and undertake projects
to reduce your energy bills and improve the comfort of your
home.
Since the energy efficient performance of windows, doors, and
skylights varies by climate, product recommendations are given four
U.S. climate zones. For comparisons among ENERGY STAR® products and
selecting the best product available read Buying Energy Efficient
Windows or go to www.nfrc.org.
Changes in ENERGY STAR Qualifications
The Department of Energy (DOE) issued its revised 2010 criteria
for the Energy Star windows, doors, and skylights program.
The
full report is available, please fallow the link.
Current climate zones
Specifics
Among the most notable changes made in the final document are
changes concerned the window criteria for the Northern zone.
DOE tightened the U-factor criteria to the 0.30 level. To maximize
the number of products qualifying in the zone, DOE chose not to set
an SHGC maximum. DOE determined it was worthwhile to
recognize the benefits of higher solar gain in some
applications.
In the Southern zone SHGC is allowed up to 0.27. DOE officials note
that stakeholders had expressed concern that the very low SHGC
previously proposed would have reduced visible light transmission,
and DOE decided it did not want to encourage production of windows
providing less visible light.
The new Energy Star criteria goes into effect January 1, 2010.
Tomorrow's windows ... today
At OKNA Windows, we value the importance of providing our
customers with one of the most improved energy-efficient windows on
the market. That's why our innovative energy conservation
technology already outperforms ENERGY STAR’s
more stringent
certification standards implemented in
2010.
