What Makes uPVC Windows an Energy-Efficient Choice?
What is an energy-efficient window? Let’s keep it short and simple – windows that reduce the use of artificial mechanisms to keep your homes or office cool during the summers and warm during the winters are considered to be energy-efficient windows. When talking about energy-efficient windows, let us go a little bit deep into the fact and understand what makes certain windows energy-efficient? Windows, as we all know, are made up of wooden or plastic or even metal frames and glass. Here is the catch – different framing materials paired with different types of glass and glazing layers work to enhance the energy efficiency levels of windows. For example, materials like uPVC are specially designed to protect your homes from heat loss or heat gain, thus cutting down your electricity bills.
Unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride better known as uPVC is a kind of hard plastic that is inflexible, has taken the window market by storm. It is now one of the most popular choices not only for residential but for commercial spaces as well. Owing to its inflexible nature, uPVC is also known as rigid PVC. ‘Unplasticised’ refers to the fact that no additives have been used in the manufacturing process of these PVCs. uPVC windows are not just known for their energy efficiency, but they also have a style statement of their own.
In this article, we will discuss the techniques implemented to make uPVC windows an energy-efficient choice.
A Bad conductor of heat: Being a bad conductor of heat, uPVC prevents the transfer of temperatures from outside to inside and vice versa. As a result, during the scorching summers, if you switch on your air conditioners, the windows will keep your interiors cool for a longer duration, and similarly, during the winters, it will keep your home warmer.
Double or Triple layers of glazing: It is easy to fabricate uPVC windows with double or triple layers of glazing and this is something that essentially makes these windows energy efficient. Single glazed windows can easily lose or absorb up to 70% of the heat thus making your interiors warm during summers and chilled during winters. But because of their multiple layers of glazing, uPVC windows enhance the thermal resistance to a great extent. The spaces between the double glass panes have an air pocket and this works towards reducing the amount of heat gained or lost.
Low Energy Consumption: Low conductivity and multiple layers of glazing work toward reducing the energy consumption of your air conditioners during summers and room heaters during winters. Not only that, uPVC windows also reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by up to 60% when compared to other traditional materials. And with that said, we can say that these windows are not just energy-efficient, but they are environment friendly a well!
uPVC windows paired with Low-E glass can make your property even more energy-efficient. Low-E glass is known to keep interiors cool by reflecting the sun’s heat away during the summer, and warm by trapping it during the winters. As a result, you can enjoy an ideal temperature indoors throughout the year and at the same time reduce the use of heating and cooling mechanisms.