The Ultimate guide to Energy-efficient windows and doors

The ultimate guide to energy-efficient windows and doors

Rational use of energy to make a room cozier is a matter long since solved by skilful engineers who, thanks to modern technology, have found a way to fulfill this function with windows and doors. Energy saving, which is aimed at conserving energy, hence reducing energy consumption, and energy efficiency, i.e. useful energy use are the two most useful qualities of energy saving windows and doors produced today. Energy efficiency is, moreover, an economically sensible way of keeping the budget. In practice, this translates into absence of draughts, good noise insulation, retention and widespread distribution of heat in the room, absence of condensation, in other words efficient heat exchange and ventilation without accompanying problems. As you know, draughts are often the cause of over using heat devices and consequently increased heating costs. High-quality, best energy-efficient windows and doors, which are also well installed, prevent these problems from occurring. But what is energy efficiency in terms of physics? It is nothing more than heat transfer resistance. Windows can be made energy efficient by adding a Low-E coating or film on the window, which deflects the hard UV rays & heat. Did you know up to 87% of its heat gained through windows? Thankfully, some high quality Low-E coated panels can resistant up to 98% of all UV. This creates a barrier against the heat and the double-glazing will resistance against the cold. This is why a house with high quality energy efficient windows is always warm in winter and cool in summer. The higher the thermal transmittance of a construction, the better its thermal and acoustic insulation properties and the lower its utility costs.

How can I reduce the heat lost through the outside doors in my home?

A house can lose up to 40% of its heat through door and window openings. In winter, this is a huge loss, which entails loss of comfort and significant heating costs. What is needed to minimize heat loss?

First and foremost, a high-quality energy efficient door installation is required. It starts with measurement, when the quality of the opening, masonry joints around it, lintels over the openings and other structural features, which an experienced specialist will definitely take into account, are evaluated. Preparation of the opening is one of the main factors for a long-lasting and problem-free operation of the door. The adjustment of the door is an equally important factor that directly affects the door’s ability to fulfill its function, including door’s energy efficiency.

The weak point in doors is a bad seal. The seal must be elastic, soft and resilient, but in addition, these qualities must be maintained throughout the entire period of use. It is a sealant that prevents drafts, cold bridges and condensation.

Next, it is worth touching upon the operation of the door itself, namely regular opening and closing, especially during the cold season. Here it is important to ensure that energy efficient door closes tightly, which can be achieved by using a door closer. It is the door closer that ensures that the door closes tightly.

If you take all of the above into account, you will not encounter any heat loss through the entrance door opening.

Which doors are the most energy-efficient?

To understand how energy-efficient doors are, you should pay attention to the following characteristics:

Glazing. Double glazing has a clear advantage over single glazing in terms of protection against heat loss. However, the glazing must be considered holistically, as both the chamber between the panes and the coating on the panes influence the energy efficiency. A gas-filled chamber acts as an insulator of heat, which is not the case with an air-filled one. The coating also performs an energy-saving function, depending on how it is applied and what components are used.

The U Value is the heat absorption coefficient, which indicates how much energy is transferred through the door or window. This value also depends on the coating that is applied to the glazing. The lower the U Value, the better the thermal insulation and therefore the better the door’s energy efficiency.

Things to consider when installing energy-efficient doors

Professional installation is a prerequisite for the trouble-free function of the energy efficient door. It is also worth paying attention to where the door was manufactured, as quality production also plays an important role. Only with professional equipment and quality control at every stage of production is it possible to achieve not only a high level of energy efficiency but also to ensure that the doors are made of high quality raw materials and that they are professionally treated to be as environmentally friendly as possible. A quality certificate is proof that the door is truly environmentally friendly and of high quality, but it can only be provided by a bona fide company.

Get government help towards insulation costs with the Energy Efficient Communities Program

Australia has an Energy Efficient Communities program that supports community organizations, business owners and landlords to help them manage their energy costs and reduce energy and heating bills. This includes assistance with installation of ancillary equipment, all energy efficient building elements, equipment upgrades, investment in energy monitoring and management systems and other opportunities to improve the energy efficiency of buildings in line with the Austrian Standard.

What are the most energy-efficient windows?

The most energy-efficient windows are those that are manufactured according to all technical requirements, using only first-class raw materials and with a professional workforce. Simply calling windows energy efficient is not an option. There has to be a technical proof and this is what it means:

• The presence of a chamber filled with gas. We have talked about this dozens of times, but we have not mentioned how to verify it. It is easy to do so by paying attention to the presence of an inlet valve inside the chamber.
• The technical description of the windows will certainly include a point about the presence of pyrolitic or magnetron coating on the glazing or lamination that creates an energy field preventing the penetration of heat or cold, respectively heat loss. It can be called energy efficient glass.

Now for more details.

The main technology used in energy-efficient windows is a coating of silver oxide, which retains heat during the cold season and protects against excessive solar penetration in summer. Silver oxide is a component of all coatings such as lamination, magnetron coating as well as coating obtained by pyrolithic process. In addition, all coatings on energy-efficient windows reflect the heat that radiators emit into the room. And in summer there are significant savings on air conditioning.

Energy-efficient window materials

The first thing to take note of is the frame of an energy-efficient window. The material it is made of is a polymer, which has low thermal conductivity and is also resistant to external influences.

We have talked about the coatings and the space between the panes, so we will not go into this again. The only thing we haven’t mentioned yet is the optimum glass spacing, which is 12 to 16 mm.

How much do energy-efficient windows save?

The performance of energy-saving glass is long-lasting, which means that the energy-saving features are also effective throughout the entire service life. With quality windows and doors, this period lasts for decades. Initially, you will not see results when the heating bills come due. But you will immediately feel the comfort of the room. And after a period of time, the bills will be changed and will be reduced by several times. In addition to saving the family budget and reducing heat loss, energy-efficient windows reduce noise coming in from the street and minimize condensation.