Consumption, Consumption, What's Your Function? - Windows

NOTE: With winter upon us, In the Loop with DotLoop has designated the next month as Home Energy Month and will feature articles on how you can reduce your home's energy consumption through simple steps. DotLoop is dedicated to making every aspect of the home buying and owning experience as eco-friendly as possible.

A few weeks ago, I discussed my Hefty bag solution for drafty windows, focusing on insulation. It was a good way to start off this series by focusing on energy literally thrown out the window. I was pleasantly surprised that my words made it all the way to the White House when, just a few days later, the President called insulation "sexy". Thanks for the plug, President Obama.

Of course, insulation and Hefty bags were just one part of that equation. After all, it wasn't just the lack of insulation that wasted energy in my college apartment, it was the old, drafty windows themselves.

Windows Crash

Unless you're reading this from a prison cell or a basement apartment (not to be redundant), you probably have a good amount of windows in your house or building. But did you know that windows account for 10% to 25% of your heating bill? Drafty or obsolete windows (think single-paned) can be a burden to your bank account by letting conditioned air (warm or cool) leak out.

A Royal Paned

You can keep your windows from wasting your money through a few simple steps. Here are just a few examples:

• Clean your windows
  No, I don't mean debug your computer or buy an iMac. Busting out the Windex can not only help you naturally heat your home in those cool winter months (clean windows let in more sun), it can also help keep you in shape.

• Close the curtains
  During the day in the summertime. This can help keep your home cool. Transversely, opening your curtains in the winter can help warm your home naturally.
  

• Add window film & weatherizing strips
  Adding a protective inner lining to your windows in the winter or weatherizing the gaps in older windows can help keep your come toasty in the winter.
  

A more complete list can be found at the U.S. Department of Energy's website (returning the free plug, Mr. President).

It's Curtains For You, Wasted Energy

Of course, if you really want to cut down your energy bills, you can always opt to get new windows. The upfront costs can be hefty (no pun inte--okay, you caught me, pun intended), but with the Federal Tax Credit incentives, they may just be worth it. Aside from making sure your new windows are double-paned, make sure they work for your environment. After all, you'll have different window needs in Anchorage than you will in Atlanta.

Here are a few tips:

• Make sure you have the ENERGY STAR label on your windows (but try to get them to not stick the label on the actual window. I hate that--why do you do that, window manufacturers?

• In temperate climates where it's both hot and cold, you'll want windows with both a low U-factor and low SHGCs (solar heat gain coefficients; they help reduce heat absorption).
  

• The lower the U-factor, the better the insulation. In colder climates, focus on finding a low U-factor.

• If you're building a new home, selecting the right windows can help you in the long-run by allowing you to install a smaller HVAC system.