|
|
 |
|
|
|
Welcome to GreenSpec Insights, an independent resource for architects, green consultants, and building product specifiers. Each week, we aim to bring you not only unbiased new product reviews, but also insights into what's really important for environmental performance in specific product categories. We hope you find it useful -- send your suggestions and other comments to Insights@GreenSpec.com.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- Tristan Roberts
What makes high-performance windows perform? We look at double- and triple-glazing, low-emissivity coating technologies, and more.
What's the highest-tech piece of engineering that's a part of your home or workplace? I would suggest that by some measure, it's not your furnace, your fridge, your dishwasher, your hot water heater, or even your ground-source heat pump and radiant heat, if you have that. It's your windows.
Look at what we ask windows to do. We want a visual connection to the outdoors that lets in daylight and that is itself pleasant to look at, both from the inside and the outside. We expect windows to provide fresh air and cooling breezes at times, but at other times we expect them to be completely airtight and provide good thermal insulation. Insects should be kept out; children and pets in. In heating climates, we want to get solar heat gain from windows, but not too much, and in all climates we don't want glare.
Do argon and krypton leak over time? Also find out about the third generation of low-e coatings in the rest of the article.
Read the rest of the article and Join the discussion
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
