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.
