There are several different options available when you’re looking for replacement windows in Albany NY that will maximize energy efficiency and be suitable for our local climate.
Your goal, when looking for the right set of windows, is to combine a good glass option – rated for Albany NY climate – with a frame option built for cold as well as hot temperatures; do to the fluctuating weather in New Albany during the winter and summer months.
And of course you want something that will meet your aesthetic appeal to really make your window project stand out.
In this article, we will show you how to pick windows that are NFRC rated for the Albany area, and how to understand the rating system so you can make an educated decision for all of your future home improvement projects that require window replacements. We will also go over some of our opinions on frame materials as well as manufacturers that we think offer better products based on our non-biased opinion and experience installing windows in Albany.
We’ve been installing residential and commercial replacement windows in Albany for over 10 years and have learned a few things along the way. This bit of information can be useful to DIY home enthusiasts or any homeowner that’s looking to install new windows.
Energy Star
When you’re shopping for energy efficient windows, the first things you want to understand is the Energy Star zone system and which zone you live in. A zone is a geographical area of the US that Energy Star uses to help homeowners determine the most energy efficient window rating for their area. To simply put it, an energy efficient window for Arizona climate will not be the most energy efficient window for New York. So Energy Star breaks up the country into 4 zones Northern, North-Central, South-Central, and Southern.
After knowing your zone, you want to understand the rating system and how energy efficiency is measured. Even though it’s a little technical, the recommended ratings is listed in easy-to-understand tables for every zone, and therefore makes it easy to match window rating labels for the required zone rating without having to be technical.
Lets take a look at the table with ratings recommended for New York weather.
Ideal U-factor ratings for northern climate is 0.25 or less. According to the table, less than or equal to 0.27, equal to 0.28 0.29 0.30will also work.
Ideal SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient) 0.35-0.60 if you have proper working air conditioning. If however cooling the area is a concern, do to whatever reason, an SHGC rating that’s less than 0.32 is better.
Ideal Air Leakage should be less than or equal to 0.30
Take a look at a typical NFRC rating label. This is the label you should look for when shopping for windows.
As you can see, the U-factor rating for the window is 0.27, the SHGC is 0.35, and the Air Leakage is less than or equal to 0.30. Using the blue table above, you can see the window has the recommended ratings for Northern Zone climate and therefore will have better energy efficiency compared to windows rated for other areas. Try to shop around and look for windows with the ideal U-factor, SHGC, and Air leakage ratings to get the maximum energy efficiency from windows in the Albany area.