Innovations In Window Technology: The Future Of Energy Efficient Windows | Dallas, TX
As energy costs continue to rise in the United States, homeowners are looking for ways to lower their energy consumption. Most U.S. residents noted a surge in their electricity bills, especially during the Covid 19 pandemic when they spent more time indoors. Thus, it was not surprising that household electricity use in the United States rose to 8% during the lockdown.
Although there are many ways of reducing energy consumption, one area that’s often overlooked is the windows. You are prone to incur high energy bills if your home has traditional windows, as you’ll have to rely more on your HVAC system to cool or warm it, depending on the season.
But thanks to advancements in technology, you can take advantage of energy efficient windows to improve the efficiency of your home in Dallas, TX.
In this blog post, you’ll learn more about some of the current innovations in energy efficient windows and how they are shaping the future of energy efficiency.
Smart Glass
The smart glass allows homeowners to enjoy cost-saving benefits, achieve a minimalistic look, and enjoy privacy. Also known as smart privacy, switchable, or light control glass (LCG®), it uses special technology that reduces the need for curtains and blinds and instantly lightens or darkens your room by remote access.
Depending on temperature or light levels, the smart glass changes its color or transparency, thus, automatically adjusting to external conditions. This allows it to block out light on hot days and vice versa.
This feature in most energy efficient windows allows you to significantly reduce the need for artificial lighting and air conditioning, leading to significant energy savings. Besides lowering your utility bills, smart glass reduces glare, blocks harmful UV rays, and saves your flooring and furniture from discoloration.
Before you rush to purchase a smart glass, you should consult an energy-efficient window company in Dallas, TX to know the initial purchasing and installation cost as well as the product’s value.
Low-Emissivity (low-E) Coatings
Traditional windows allow heat and ultraviolet rays (UV) to enter your abode, making it hotter and damaging your belongings. To prevent the adverse effects of the heat in your home, consider purchasing energy efficient windows fitted with coatings to mitigate the heat and damage.
Low-emissivity (low-E) coatings are thin, transparent metal or metallic oxide layers applied to glass surfaces. They reduce heat loss by reflecting back into the room some of the long-wave infrared energy that would otherwise pass through the glass.
The idea behind these designs was to be used in colder climates, but technological advances have made this cost-efficient option to be used in various regions.
Therefore, on the dog days of summer, the reflective coat in these energy efficient windows prevents heat from entering your home via the glass. During the winter, the coating keeps you and your family warm by preventing heat from escaping.
With low-E glass, you don’t have to over-rely on your HVAC unit during the summer or cold season, thus keeping your electricity bills low. Before buying a Low-E glass, you should consider the climate of where you live.
Therefore, always check the packaging of the window film for the visible transmittance rating (VT) and the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC). Dallas, TX is humid subtropical; thus, you should go for a low-E glass with a lower SHGC rating.
If your windows lack these coatings or want to add more, you can add low-E film to make your windows more energy efficient by improving thermal performance.
Solar Windows
Transparent solar windows are a game changer in the fenestration industry. Although they are still new and not popular in many households in the United States, these windows have already become a trailblazer in the modern, clean power revolution while conserving natural habitats and farmland.
Solar windows allow your residential home to convert the sun’s energy into free renewable electricity. Solar glass functions like solar panels by generating power from solar energy while allowing light to enter your house like a normal window.
For starters, solar windows appear like standard windows but have built-in solar panels embedded with photovoltaic glazing that converts sunlight into usable electricity.
The solar cells in these windows convert the light passing via windows during daylight hours, hence, powering your home with free renewable electricity. Excess energy is stored in a solar battery for future use or delivered to the National Grid.
Besides being a source of electricity that lowers your energy bills, solar windows reduce indoor temperatures, especially during summer. These windows also block ultraviolet radiation and offer homeowners maximum privacy because of a tint that makes it harder to see through them. In addition, they reduce the uncomfortable glare.
Therefore, you can consider these energy efficient windows for your home and enjoy low-installation costs because fitting these windows is more straightforward than mounting solar panels on your roof.
Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIPs)
This is another innovation in window technology that goes a long way in improving energy efficiency in your home. VIPs are thin, flexible panels placed inside the frames of energy efficient windows, separating the interior and exterior of the window.
They can trap a large amount of air and create a vacuum because they take the form of airtight containers. It is this vacuum insulation that’s effective at preventing heat loss, hence improving the window’s thermal performance of the windows.
Energy Window Solutions: Home for Advanced Window Products
The latest innovations in window technology above indicate that the future of energy efficiency is promising. By investing in energy efficient windows, you not only reduce your energy consumption and costs but also lower your carbon footprint.
Energy Window Solutions is a leading window provider and most efficient window installation company in Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area. We provide beautiful, energy efficient windows and help with installation.
Our window installers are informed on the latest trends and innovations in the fenestration industry; thus, you can consult them on the best window for your modern home. Visit us at Energy Window Solutions today or call us to schedule a free in-home estimate.