Window Energy Ratings Scale
Choosing high performance windows doors and skylights can save you money and keep your home comfortable.
Window energy ratings scale. When manufacturing installing or choosing windows and doors you need more than. Understanding a bit about the window energy label its ratings and how they indicate a windows energy efficiency can help you make better buying decisions. The circled value shows you the rating a door has received. The energy performance of all energy star qualified windows doors and skylights must be independently tested certified and verified according to test procedures established by the national fenestration rating council nfrc.
45 of that cost is for heating and cooling. The scheme is similar to those seen on household appliances white goods and light bulbs. Solar heat gain coefficient measures how well a product can resist unwanted direct or indirect solar radiation. The lower the u value the greater a window s resistance to heat flow and the better its insulating value.
The lower the number the better an insulator the window or door is. Bfrc is the uk s most trusted ratings council with the most widely used rating system for energy performance in window and doors. Each year the average american household spends 1 500 2 500 on energy bills. Find out how bfrc ratings can help you.
Solar heat gain and u factor. The national fenestration rating council nfrc operates a voluntary program that tests certifies and labels windows doors and skylights based on their energy performance ratings. Independently tested and certified energy performance. The other three are somewhat less important to energy performance according to energy star but can help you judge how well a window or door will perform in a particular application for example whether it ll let in enough light.
The bfrc energy window label utilises a traffic light a to e scale on the basis of total energy efficiency where an a rated window is the most energy efficient. The window s insulating value is indicated by the r value which is the inverse of the u value. The nfrc label provides a reliable way to determine a window s energy properties and to compare products. Each rating is split into two values.
Nfrc is a third party non profit organization that sponsors certified rating and labeling to help consumers. A window product s rating is listed at the top of the label using a letter and associated colour band. The three other window energy ratings are the solar heat gain coefficient shgc visible transmittance vt and air infiltration or air leakage. This radiation can cause your home to heat regardless of outside temperature which.
The rating system is based on a scale of e to a with a windows being the most energy efficient.