COURTESY : buranodoors.com

Energy star products

Whether people are living in temporary or forever-homes, everyone indubitably wants their space to be comfortable, inviting and beautiful. Investing in your home may seem financially risky and time consuming but making strategic decisions can definitely make it worth your while!

If you’ve decided to take the plunge and invest in your home with replacement windows in Toronto, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration. Some of these factors include budget, window styles, installation, whether or not you should use energy star products and which replacement window provider you want to work with.

What is Energy Star?

Energy star is a government-supported symbol for energy efficiency. There are thousands of local, industrial, commercial and government organizations using energy star products to improve energy efficiency. Since 1992, Energy Star has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 3 billion metric tons! There are several benefits of using energy star products, including:

Cost Savings

Although investing in replacement window may seem like a large cost upfront, you may actually see returns on your investment through cost savings from using Energy Star! Energy Star has reported that for a typical home, owners may save anywhere from $126-$465 per year when replacing single-pane windows. Furthermore, people can expect to save $27-$111 a year with double-pane replacement windows in Toronto.

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency and cost savings are interrelated–one can’t happen without the other. In the current world we live in, energy efficiency and sustainability have become major priorities for individuals, not only to save money, but to reduce environmental footprints! In 2017 alone, Energy Star saved 370 billion kWh of electricity, with many people subsequently saving on electricity and energy bills.

Quality

Considering that Energy star products are endorsed by the government, they are manufactured with incredible quality. Only the top 15 to 30 percent of windows meet the high, rigorous standards of Energy Star’s requirements. All energy star products are put through a series of tests, including air leakage tests, and/or an analysis of potential solar gain in conjunction with a heat-loss test.

The criteria to receive an Energy Star rating varies from product to product due to the nature of its manufacturing and materials. For windows and doors, products are usually rated based on their u-factor (measure of the rate of heat loss) or energy rating (ER). Ratings are also determined based on three different climate zones in Canada. For example, Toronto is considered to be Zone 2, in which windows and doors will only receive an energy star rating if products have a minimum energy rating of 29, or a maximum U-factor of 1.40.

When you’re shopping for energy star products, it’s important to know that there are some companies who fake the accreditation process to make it seem as though they’ve been approved by Energy star. To ensure you’re purchasing replacement windows in Toronto that haven’t loopholed around the energy star certification process, you can purchase products that are certified by reputable third parties. These third parties should use a mix of methods to test products in-house and conduct audits regularly.

One accredited third party that meets these requirements is the CSA group. The CSA group consists of two organizations, inspection and certification, and standards development and testing. With over 100 years of experience, they have become one of Canada’s top recognized standards development organizations.

What Should I look for in Energy Efficient Windows?

Gas Fills

Although many may believe that windows are created with a single pane (layer) of glass, most windows are actually developed with a minimum of two panes of glass layered together. This technique maximizes energy efficiency as any air or gas fills the space between the panes. Furthermore, this space between panes are typically filled with insulating gasses such as krypton and argon, which are of course non-toxic and odorless. These gasses act as better insulators than regular air, which can ultimately lead to saving more energy.

Low-E Glass

The term “low-e-glass” refers to a specially designed coating applied to windows (or a glass pane in a door) that can improve light filtering abilities. Low-E coatings can keep interiors warm in winter and cool in summer due to its technology blocking infrared light and uv light. These coatings can subsequently protect furniture from fading.

Frame Material

Selecting a proper frame for your window can make a huge impact in maximizing energy savings. Two frame materials in particular that have exploded in popularity across Canada are vinyl windows and fibreglass windows. Vinyl windows are a popular selection as they require little maintenance and provide optimal thermal insulation, whereas fibreglass materials are incredibly durable.

If you’re looking to give your home a facelift through replacement windows in Toronto, we highly recommend using Energy Star Products.

Here at Burano Doors and Window, we are proud that all of our products are energy star approved as we only want the best for our clients. We’ll be with you every step of the way– from helping you select a window style to manufacturing your windows ourselves. If you’re looking to save cash, save energy, and give your home a beautiful refresh, contact us today!