As wonderful as a sunlit home is for your mood, it’s not so great for the internal temperature of your home. Fortunately, energy efficient windows can reduce the heat in your home so that you can have your sunlight without a shocking energy bill. Here’s what you need to know about how home direction affects the energy efficiency of your home and what your windows can do to help. Let’s get into it.
How Home Direction Affects The Heat In Your Home
Houses with their windows facing predominantly north typically use less energy than homes with windows facing mostly south. This is because of how home direction affects how much sunlight gets into your home.
- North-facing windows are almost always in the shade.
- South-facing windows get the most sunlight.
- East-facing windows get morning sun, but are shaded the rest of the day.
- West-facing windows are shaded in the morning but get sunlight the rest of the day.
The amount of sunlight south-facing windows get can be beneficial: it gives you more light, which helps your mental health. It’s great for houseplants. Plus, in the winter, this can help heat your home naturally.
However, the amount of sunlight south-facing windows get can also have adverse effects, such as making your house too hot in the warmer months and increasing your energy bills.
Other Types Of Damage Sunlight Can Cause
It’s well known that exposure to UV rays can be bad for your health. Unprotected sun exposure can increase the risk of premature aging, skin cancer, sunburns, and more. Beyond health concerns, UV rays can also cause damage to your property. Over time, your furnishings can fade, diminishing the beauty of your home.
The sunlight can also be a nuisance by putting a glare on your TV or making book pages too bright to read comfortably.
What Can You Do To Cool Your House Down?
Fortunately, if you have south-facing windows, you don’t need to dread the warmer months. There are a variety of ways you can reduce the amount of heat from the sun (aka solar gain). Some of which are as follows.
- Installing awnings over windows to block out the sun.
- Using window coverings/treatments, like blinds and curtains.
- Planting deciduous trees in a spot where they can shade your windows in the summer and let the light in during the winter.
- Check your windows for air leaks.
- Caulk and weatherstrip.
- Use solar control film.
- Install energy efficient windows or replace your windows with energy efficient ones.
What Are Energy Efficient Windows?
Your home’s windows play a significant role in its energy efficiency. They do so in a variety of ways.
The more panes of glass a window has, the more energy efficient it tends to be. The space between panes improves insulation by making it so that heat has more to get through in order to get into your home. As such, multi-paned windows don’t just help with heat gain and heat loss, but also with sound reduction.
Windows can also have a special coating applied to the glass which helps control the way heat moves through the window. This coating can reflect heat back into your home in the winter months and block heat from entering your home in the summer. Low-e coatings don’t just help with maintaining a comfortable temperature in your home, they also shield against UV rays, thus preventing damage to your property.
Even the most energy efficient windows need to be properly installed in order to function properly. As such, it’s crucial to work with experienced window professionals to install your new or replacement windows in order to ensure that your windows are the most efficient they can possibly be.
How Much Do Energy Efficient Windows Help?
The U.S. Department of Energy states that about 25-30% of residential heating and cooling energy is used to mitigate heat gain and heat loss through your windows. Windows play such a significant role in the energy efficiency of your home that the Department recommends selecting the most efficient windows that you can afford in order to help keep your home more comfortable and save money on your energy bills.
Do You Need New Or Replacement Windows?
Are you looking for energy efficient windows in and around Kaysville, UT? Creekside Windows & Glass is here to help! Our low-e windows are designed to help regulate the temperature inside your home with their low-e coating. This nearly invisible coating saves you money on your energy bills without sacrificing your view to do so.
Contact us today to learn more about our energy efficient windows or any of the other window and glass services that we provide.
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