Not All Energy-efficient Windows Are for Your Region

Not all areas of the United States are the same when it comes to temperatures and weather. Some areas enjoy perfect temperatures all through the year, while other places face the extremes of both the summer and the winter.

Each of these different weather areas require energy-efficient windows that are designed to work with their specific temperatures and weather. Windows that may work in Texas are not going to work very well in Cincinnati, because the windows in Texas are not designed to hold up to the cold winters that Cincinnati sees. It also works the other way; the energy-efficient windows that work for Ohio don’t work as well to keep the heat under control during hot Texas summers.

To determine what climate specific energy-efficient windows are best suited for, they are tested and then assigned a SHCG rating and a U-Factor rating by the National Fenestration Rating Council.  The numbers from these tests help companies and consumers to choose what energy-efficient windows to purchase for their homes.

Energy-Efficient Windows and Their U-Factor Rating

The U-Factor rating measures how much heat escapes out the window from the inside of the home.  The ratings for the U-Factor range from 0.2 to 1.2, with windows that have ratings closer to 1.2 being the ones that allow more heat through.

This is important to know, because if you live in a cold area you want windows that are going to prevent the heated air on the inside of your home from getting out.

Energy-Efficient Windows and Their SHGC Rating

SHGC stands for Solar Heat Gain Coefficient and it measures the exact opposite of the U-Factor rating. The SHGC measures how much of the sun’s heat the window allows to come in the house from the outside.  For homeowners that live in the cooler climates up north, they want the SHGC number to be high.  The higher number means that more of the sun’s heat is getting in the home, so it is being heated naturally by the sun.

What Energy-Efficient Window Ratings Should You Look For?

Now that you understand what each of the ratings mean, you have an idea of what ratings you are looking for on your energy-efficient windows. There is an Energy Star Climate Zone Map that can help you determine what U-Factor and SHGC ratings you should look for while you are shopping around for new energy-efficient windows.