Windows are an integral part of most homes, but for years they have been a major source of energy loss. In fact, heat travels 10 times faster through glass than through an insulated wall. In the 21st century, windows will be working much harder to keep houses warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
The demand for larger homes with larger expanses of glass is increasing. To help builders meet energy code regulations, scientists and engineers are developing better , more energy-efficient windows.
Double-pane windows are already standard in most new homes. These windows create a pocket of "dead" air that helps prevent heat from passing through. Filling this pocket with a heavy inert gas such as argon or krypton helps even more. In addition , some windows offer "low-E" coatings made of a thin invisible layer of metal bonded to the surface of the glass. The coating allows short-wave visible light to pass through but reduces the transfer of long-wave light, which can contain unwanted heat .
Now a new type of window insulation is emerging: the heat mirror design. Heat mirror windows contain a UV-blocking, coated polyester film suspended between two panes of glass. As a result, the window has two dead air pockets with a dramatic increase in insulating power. One way of expressing how well a material insulates is through "R" values. A single-pane window is rated at a value of R-1. Double-pane windows have a value of R-2, and low-E gas-filled windows only rate R-4. Heat mirror windows have a rating between R-8 and R-13, as good as many exterior walls!
The windows come with intangible benefits as well. Because the heat mirror windows are so energy-efficient, owners are less reluctant to be near them. As a result, the effective living space of their homes increases and their houses seem larger.
At present, heat mirror windows are more expensive than the traditional alternatives . However, owners are likely to see a drop in utility bills that quickly makes up for the cost.
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