PDF Report

Better Window Decisions

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Whether you're selecting windows for a 99-unit condo project or for a single-family home, you're making a choice your client will have to live with for years, maybe decades.

And no matter how large or small the project is, you need to find the right balance among seven key decision drivers, including energy and comfort performance, cost, aesthetics, durability, and more.

BuildingGreen's special report, Better Window Decisions: Mastering the Performance and Cost Options, dives deep into these topics, giving you the framework you need to make an informed decision.

What you'll find in the report:

Smart strategies that save money

  • Avoid overglazing. You probably don't need as many windows as you think.
  • Get better performance with fewer operable windows.
  • When you don't need new windows: Improving old windows with energy-saving films, attachments, etc.

Anatomy of a high-performance window

  • The ins and outs of insulated glass: low-e coatings, warm-edge spacers, gas fills, etc.
  • Price, performance, and sustainability of different window materials.
  • Special features: Integral blinds, self-cleaning glass, integrated photovoltaics, and more.

How to use NFRC ratings

  • The basics: U-value, VT, and SHGC.
  • Technical details: CR (condensation resistance) and AL (air leakage).
  • From Arizona to Vermont: How Energy Star ratings vary by region.

55 pages of indispensable advice

  • A look at ultra-efficient windows, including the difference between European and North American window specs (hint: it's not just the metric system).
  • Daylighting guidelines, bird safety advice, and other indispensable tips from the experts at BuildingGreen.