Triple Pane
When it comes to saving energy thanks to better home insulation, a triple pane window is among the very best choices. The point is to stop all that heat from transferring to the outside straight through the windows, and a triple pane window can do just that.
Triple paned (also known as triple glazed) windows are of course heavier and more expensive than double paned windows, as you might expect. But a window with three panes is an investment rather than a purchase.
This is the choice for the homeowner who wants to make excellent long term savings to energy costs. And so can accept that the initial price of the window will not be made up in heating bill reductions for quite a few years.
There are a lot of choices regarding the glass for windows. In Canada windows are rated with an Energy Rating (ER). A positive ER window, in a south wall, will gain more heat than it loses. If the ER is not available, look at the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) which is a number between 0 and 1. The higher the number, the more heat a window will allow in as radiant heat from the sun. The other factor to look at us the U-value. This number is the inverse of the R-value commonly seen in insulation, and indicates the amount of heat a window will lose. The lower the number the better. A double pane window with a low-e coating will have an SHGC of around .45 an a U-value of .35. A triple pane window with a low-e coating will have an SHGC of .35 and a U-value of .25. Another factor is the spacer at the edge of a double or triple pane window. Most newer windows come with plastic or soft spacer that has a lower conductivity than the aluminum spacers that were common in the previous generation of windows.
Typically a triple pane window will have lower U-values, lower SHGC and higher ER values and so will lose less energy, and the price will only increase marginally over double pane (10% to 15%). A heat loss calculation will determine whether or not the extra cost is justified. If your overall savings amount to $120/yr in heating costs, and the cost for triple pane increased your over all cost by $600.00, you would begin to have payback in 5 years. If you own your home for 20 years you would have a potential saving of $1800.00. Remember; finanncial payback is not the only benefit of triple pane glass. Imagine sitting next to a window in your home on a cold winter evening and not feeling the cold!!! This benefit alone makes triple pane a must. If you are interested in doing your part to help reduce energy use and save our environment, then triple pane is the right window for your home.
Remember, loose fitting frames, or frames that conduct heat, will negate all the benefits of low-E glass, triple pane, reflective glass, you name it. Super windows poorly installed are no better than cheap windows properly installed. Windows are a lot more than just panes of glass, they’re a whole system and you have to do the whole system properly. Windows West only uses qualified installers and we guarantee all of our installations.
