With so many options, ratings and technologies out there, picking a window can be very confusing. Add to that, you will have your own criteria for look, comfort, energy savings and of course price. However, there are many resources out there that can make this quite easy for you. We’ll list them here:
• Energy efficient windows of any type are going to be more expensive than regular windows. This is something you will need to be prepared for. However, this one-time expense really pays off, and even your remodelling contractor will agree. Energy efficient windows can lead to money savings of 7-24% (acc. To the EPA) and in some climates, upto 40% annually. It is proven that in 2-3 years, energy efficient windows pay off for themselves.
• The kind of windows you will need depends largely on the climate in your region. Your climate impacts your heating and cooling requirements, your house design and your energy bills. In order that your windows provide you with an optimal solution, they need to keep comfortable as high as possible while keeping cost as low. Thankfully, you don’t have to do the math. This neat window selection tool on the efficient window collaborative website gives you how much you can save on different window types depending on where you live. Try it out here: http://www.efficientwindows.org/selection.cfm.
• As obvious, go for windows with the Energy Star rating or the NFRC (National Fenestration Rating Council) logo. Starting 2010, EPA has come up with improved energy star ratings for windows, which can get you tax credit of over $1,500. Make sure you check for a red label marked ‘Qualified until March 31, 2010’ which means the window was made according to the old rating system. The NFRC ratings will give you the values for the five criteria mentioned in our first post in this series and are also very reliable.

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