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Energy Star® Windows

ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. Results are already adding up. Americans, with the help of the ENERGY STAR program, saved enough energy in 2007 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 27 million cars - all while saving $16 billion on their utility bills.

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 draft criteria for the Energy Star windows, doors, and skylights program. In its full report, DOE officials state that changes were made from previous proposals based on industry feedback, the new tax credit requirements set forth in the stimulus package, and the final window performance requirements established by the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code.

The full report on the revised Phase 1 criteria notes that DOE has elected not to issue its Phase 2 criteria at this time. DOE will delay work on Phase 2–a set of more stringent numbers originally proposed to go in effect three years after the first round of changes–until late in fiscal year 2009.


Specifics


Among the most notable changes made in the revised proposal is a reduction in the number of climate zones in the Energy Star map (Fig. 1). DOE previously proposed five climate zones, but elected to continue with four and keep the geographic names used in the present Energy Star guidelines. Industry stakeholders had argued that the additional zones and nomenclature would create too much confusion.

Other major changes concerned the window criteria (Table 1) for the Northern zone. DOE tightened the U-factor criteria to the 0.30 level set by the ARRA tax credit to ensure that Energy Star intersects with the tax credit, officials noted. To maximize the number of products qualifying in the zone, DOE chose not to set an SHGC maximum. Previously proposed tradeoffs for the Northern zone were limited, as DOE determined it was worthwhile to recognize the benefits of higher solar gain in some applications.

In the Southern zone, the latest draft relaxes the SHGC 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 latest Energy Star proposals are scheduled to go into effect January 1, 2010, or at least 270 days from the date the final criteria are issued.


Tomorrow's windows ... today


At OKNA Windows, we value the importance of providing our customers with 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, which will be implemented in 2010.


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