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ENERGY EFFICIENCY
The Full Story
Energy efficiency has never been more important than it is today. And rightly so. The ability to lessen your carbon footprint by reducing the need for artificial heating and cooling, while improving comfort levels in Summer or Winter months, is a win in anyone's book. An energy efficient window or door will take into account the glass, frame, hardware and sealing capabilities in order to do just that. All of these components work together to achieve a certain level of performance dependent on what is required and in combination with each other, prevent heat loss or heat gain to be considered energy efficient.
The U Value
If you've never heard the term 'U Value', this is the measurement of how well a window or door assembly prevents non solar heat gain or loss. The lower the U Value, the better it's resistance to heat flow and the greater it's ability to provide optimum insulation and prevent heat escaping in Winter months. The value is determined as a 'whole of window' calculation, incorporating the glass, frame, seals and/or any spacers in the case of a double glazed unit. It is possible to utilise single and double glazing within a building depending on what you wish to achieve however, a general rule of thumb is that a single glazed unit will likely only achieve a U rating of around 5.0 whereas a DGU can achieve as little as 2.0 subject to the type of glass and framing used.
SHGC 'Solar Heat Gain Coefficient'
SHGC or Solar Heat Gain Coefficient is the measure of how effectively a product is able to block or restrict solar radiation or heat from permeating through it. It is measured within a range of 0 and 1. In a climate that experiences cooler temperatures, windows that have a high SHGC allow more solar radiation to pass through the glass, effectively using the sun to heat the home and reducing the need for artificial heating methods. On the other hand, in a warmer climate, a low SHGC value will minimise the addition of solar heat gain, keeping your indoor environment cooler.