{"id":2900,"date":"2015-12-05T01:39:12","date_gmt":"2015-12-05T01:39:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kravelv.com\/?p=2900"},"modified":"2022-02-24T22:35:27","modified_gmt":"2022-02-24T22:35:27","slug":"rating-window-performance-what-it-all-means","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kravelv.com\/rating-window-performance-what-it-all-means\/","title":{"rendered":"Rating Window Performance: What It All Means"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Given the role windows play to improve your home\u2019s form and function, it is necessary to ensure that you pick out the right ones. While your personal preferences will weigh a lot in determining which window will be right for you, a window\u2019s performance rating must also be taken into consideration. They are meant to be functional, after all, and performance ratings give you a good measure of what a certain window is capable of. But what do these performance ratings gauge in the first place? That\u2019s what I\u2019m here to talk about with you.<\/p>\n<h3>Window Ratings: What They Are<\/h3>\n<p>Window ratings are found on labels from <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Energy_Star\">ENERGY STAR<\/a> and the National Fenestration Council. They are formulated with input from agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, meant to assess how a window performs given certain criteria. In the case of ENERGY STAR, its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kravelv.com\/understanding-energy-efficiency-labels\/\" class=\"wpil_internal_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">label determines how energy efficient<\/a> a window is. A number is assigned to a window and the lower this number is, the more cost-efficient it is to use that window. The NFRC label offers a more comprehensive assessment, taking into consideration several factors that can affect a window\u2019s overall performance.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2902 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kravelv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/rating-window-performance1.jpg\" alt=\"rating window performance1\" width=\"400\" height=\"325\"><\/p>\n<h3>Factors to Consider<\/h3>\n<p>A typical window has many parts, but because its glass and frame make up the majority of the unit, this mostly affects a window\u2019s overall rating. The ENERGY STAR rating assesses a window overall, factoring what all the parts have to offer. NFRC ratings, on the other hand, use considerations mostly dictated by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kravelv.com\/keeping-it-clear-a-guide-to-window-glass\/\" class=\"wpil_internal_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">window glass<\/a> and frames.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kravelv.com\/increase-amount-natural-light-home\/\" class=\"wpil_internal_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Natural light,<\/a> for instance, lets in more than just the visible light that you see, also streaming in infrared light that produces heat and ultraviolet light that can facilitate fading in home interiors. These affect the following NFRC ratings:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Visible Transmittance (VT). <\/strong>This refers to the level of light that a window can let in. The higher the rating then, the higher the level of light let in. A high VT rating is great for homes looking to take advantage of daylighting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2903 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kravelv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/rating-window-performance2.jpg\" alt=\"rating window performance2\" width=\"400\" height=\"325\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC).<\/strong> This refers to the level of heat from the sun that a window can block. As a window blocks more heat, less heat will find its way inside your home, warranting a low SHGC rating. The lower the rating, the higher the level of heat you can expect a window to block.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>How well a window insulates, on the other hand, is affected by the kind of frame it has. Window glass also has a hand in determining insulative properties but frames are mostly responsible in terms of addressing air leakage, which greatly affects <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Insulation\">insulation<\/a>. Where <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kravelv.com\/window-911-dealing-with-air-leaks-around-windows\/\" class=\"wpil_internal_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">air leaks<\/a> are concerned, the following NFRC ratings are affected:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>U-Factor. <\/strong>This refers to the level of indoor heat loss that a window can prevent. Air leaks can lead to continuous heat loss and that\u2019s not a good thing as it strains heating systems to keep up with demands to maintain your comfort. As U-factor is proportional to the level of heat lost, the lower the rating, the better a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kravelv.com\/7-ways-to-secure-your-home-windows\/\" class=\"wpil_internal_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">window is at locking in heat inside the home.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2904 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kravelv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/rating-window-performance3.jpg\" alt=\"rating window performance3\" width=\"400\" height=\"325\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Air Leakage. <\/strong>This refers to the level of outdoor air that a window can let in. If the U-factor is all about keeping indoor heat in, the Air Leakage rating is concerned with keeping warm and cool outdoor air out of the home, which also contributes to stabilizing indoor environments.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Combined with ENERGY STAR\u2019s rating, these NFRC scores paint a picture of how capable a window is. Aside from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kravelv.com\/choosing-windows-to-complement-doors\/\" class=\"wpil_internal_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">choosing windows<\/a> specifically suited for your local climate, make sure you have them installed by a reputable contractor to make the most out of your investment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>====================<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Author Bio:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Dave Steffes<\/strong> <\/em>is the local owner of Renewal by Andersen of Des Moines. A trusted name in the local <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kravelv.com\/spring-summer-home-improvements\/\" class=\"wpil_internal_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">home improvement<\/a> industry, Dave never tires of sharing his knowledge with his clients, family, and friends, writing about them through the company blog.<\/p>\n<p><strong>====================<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Given the role windows play to improve your home\u2019s form and function, it is necessary to ensure that you pick out the right ones. While &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,243],"tags":[650,44],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.9.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Rating Window Performance: What It All Means - Kravelv<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kravelv.com\/rating-window-performance-what-it-all-means\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rating Window Performance: What It All Means - Kravelv\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Given the role windows play to improve your home\u2019s form and function, it is necessary to ensure that you pick out the right ones. 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