What is so commonly overlooked is the impact that so much glass can have on your home’s ability to stay warm in winter and cool in summer. YouHome – Australia’s Guide to Environmentally Sustainable Homes states: “Up to 40% of a home’s heating energy can be lost and up to 87% of its heat gained through windows” – yourhome.gov.au. This stat makes it easy to see why improving the thermal properties of the glazing in your home will significantly increase the overall comfort in your home, and likely save you on your gas or electricity bill!
People are uncomfortable if they are too hot or too cold, which can in turn affect your mood and overall wellbeing. Relying frequently on the use of air conditioning and heating solutions for comfort can cost you a fortune in the long term. An investment in energy performance glass now is a financial win for the future.
Creating a comfortable home and saving money in the long term is not the only consideration for adopting energy-efficient glass. Greenhouse gas emissions have become a growing concern. Installing the right glass to achieve minimal heat loss and heat gain is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint.
Keeping Cool
Imagine you have spent a day at the beach in the middle of summer to return to your car to find it hotter inside than out. You can barely even put your bum on the seat or grab the steering wheel because it is so hot. The solar heat gain effect is the same on your car as it is at home. Just as you would crank the air conditioning in your car on a hot summer’s day to stay cool, you will do the same at home. Except the air conditioning at home will probably cost you a lot more over the course of a summer then your car’s air conditioning.
Choosing energy-efficient glass will help to create a cooler environment, saving you costs on air conditioning.
Staying Warm
In the winter months solar heat gain is beneficial as it assists in keeping your home warm. For this reason energy efficient glass reduces heat loss in winter months saving you money spent heating your home.
There are 2 glazing types that will help you stay warm in the winter months:
Low E Glass – controls the heat flow in or out. It reflects the heat back to its source.
Double Glazing – keeps you warmer in the winter months because it has an air gap in between the two layers of glass providing far greater insulation from the outdoors.
What Now?
If you think this might be an option for you, get in touch with your builder or window manufacturer to find out what options are available. Keep in mind that the location and position of your home will greatly impact the design of your windows and doors. Every home is unique and requires its own solution, so keep an open mind when it comes to considering all of your options and what is going to work best for your unique home.
