What are Low-E Coatings and How do they Work?

If you’ve recently been looking into replacement windows for your new home, you’ve undoubtedly heard about Low-E coatings as an energy efficient feature available on many windows. So, what exactly are the advantages to having this coating on your windows, and how does Low-E coating work?

These days, with energy prices continuing to climb, homeowners have grown increasingly concerned with improving the energy efficiency of their homes. As a result, a premium has been placed on having home remodeling products that are designed to help the home stay warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. One such advancement in this area has come from the advent of Low-E coated replacement windows. A low-E, or low-emittance, coating refers to a virtually invisible coating that is placed on the window surface to reduce the window’s U-factor, which is the rate of heat loss allowed through a window. In other words, the lower the U-factor, the greater a window’s ability is to resist heat flow.

Low-E windows are designed specifically to reduce radiant heat transfer, one of the leading causes of energy waste in a home. Windows without coating tend to heat up from thermal radiation between a warmer pane of glass onto a cooler one. So, if it’s hot out, the exterior window pane can heat up, transferring this radiant heat onto the interior window pane, which subsequently will warm the house. Over the course of the day, this can cause the home’s air conditioner to work extra hard to keep the temperature regulated. Windows outfitted with a Low-E coating, on the other hand, are designed to reflect this heat away from the window, limiting the transfer between window panes.

The thing to understand about window coatings is that there are several different options, each with its own advantages depending on the design of the window and where the home is located. Certain coatings are more preferable in cooler climates, for example. To learn more about the science behind Low-E coatings, and to find the right vinyl windows for your home, contact Alure Home Improvements and schedule a consultation.