Benefits of ENERGY STAR Qualified Windows, Doors, and Skylights

• Save money — and more.

  Installing ENERGY STAR certified windows, doors, and skylights lowers energy bills and saves you money. With more efficient windows, you also use less energy, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Feel your carbon footprint shrinking?

• Get comfortable.

  Put an end to cold drafts and overheated spaces. ENERGY STAR certified windows, doors, and skylights keep your home’s temperature consistently comfortable. Even your loveseat right by the window can be cozy with ENERGY STAR.

• Protect your valuables.

  Low-emissivity coatings on many ENERGY STAR certified windows, doors, and skylights reduces UV sun damage to floors, carpets, and furniture.
   

• Certified Performance.

  All ENERGY STAR windows, doors, and skylights are certified and verified to perform as labeled.

Save Money — and More. Choose ENERGY STAR Certified Products.

Installing ENERGY STAR certified windows, doors, and skylights can shrink energy bills — and carbon footprints — by an average of 12 percent nationwide, compared to non-certified products.

For typical homes, choose ENERGY STAR and save on average*:

* Ranges are based on the average savings among homes in modeled cities. Actual savings will vary based on local climate conditions, utility rates, and individual home characteristics.

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This image shows the regional annual savings when upgrading to ENERGY STAR qualified windows from either single-pane or double-pane, clear glass windows. The source for these savings is the U.S. Department of Energy. Savings estimates based on an even mix of one- and two-story detached homes of 1700 or 2600 sq. ft. respectively, with 15% of their floor space in windows that are equally distributed across compass directions. Heating and cooling systems are modeled as either natural gas heat with electric air conditioning or electric heat pump, according to the regional breakdown reported in the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) 2005 Residential Energy Consumption Survey. Estimates use the EIA’s 2006 average natural gas prices and 2007 electricity prices. Actual savings will vary by local climatic conditions, utility rates, and individual home characteristics. Hawaii was excluded from this analysis, as the assumptions in the standard software program used for calculating the impact of windows on heating and cooling costs for the residential sector diverge significantly from the norm in Hawaii.

Northwest
$258 Single-pane window
$112 Double-pane window, clear glass
California
$146 Single-pane window
$71 Double-pane window, clear glass
West South Central
$273 Single-pane window
$159 Double-pane window, clear glass
Mountain
$294 Single-pane window
$148 Double-pane window, clear glass
West North Central
$353 Single-pane window
$145 Double-pane window, clear glass
East South Central
$195 Single-pane window
$88 Double-pane window, clear glass
East North Central
$372 Single-pane window
$160 Double-pane window, clear glass
South Atlantic
$213 Single-pane window
$86 Double-pane window, clear glass
Florida
$313 Single-pane window
$247 Double-pane window, clear glass
Middle Atlantic
$401 Single-pane window
$166 Double-pane window, clear glass
New England
$501 Single-pane window
$208 Double-pane window, clear glass

Savings estimates are based on RESFEN 6.0 calculations performed by D&R International in support of ENERGY STAR. View methodology.

Get Comfortable

Comfort. It’s the essential quality of home. ENERGY STAR certified windows, doors and skylights do more than just lower energy bills — they deliver comfort that other products just can’t match.

PROTECTION FROM WINTER CHILLS

On cold winter nights, do you avoid seats near the window? The cold, inside surface of an inefficient window pulls heat away from your body, so you can feel chilly in a sweater with the thermostat at 70 degrees. With ENERGY STAR certified windows, the interior glass stays warmer, so you can enjoy your window seat even when the temperature outside dips well below freezing.

SHIELDING FROM SUMMER HEAT

Do some of your rooms feel like a sauna in the summer? A standard double-pane window allows approximately 75 percent of the sun’s heat into your home.¹ With ENERGY STAR certified windows you can stay cool all summer long. Most ENERGY STAR certified windows reduce the “heat gain” into your home more than typical windows do, without reducing the visible light. You get the light you need without the uncomfortable heat.

Protect Your Valuables

Drapes, wood floors, a favorite photograph: all these things can fade or discolor after repeated exposure to direct sunlight. Whether their value is monetary or sentimental, you want to protect your belongings from fading and discoloring.

ENERGY STAR certified windows have coatings that keep out the summer heat and act like sunscreen for your house, protecting your valuables from harmful, fading ultraviolet light without noticeably reducing visible light. These special coatings reduce fading by up to 75 percent.¹

What is a Carbon Footprint?

Your personal carbon footprint measures the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions caused by your activities. It includes CO₂ emissions from such things as driving your car or flying in a plane, the manufacture and distribution of the products you buy, and turning on the lights in your home. A carbon footprint is usually measured in pounds or tons of CO₂ per year.

Home energy use accounts for about one-quarter of your carbon footprint, but this can vary depending on the kinds of energy sources available to power your home. ENERGY STAR calculates carbon savings for ENERGY STAR certified windows, doors and skylights based on the mix of fuels in a region and the estimated energy use for a typical home.