Effects of glass layers on energy efficiency.

Generally speaking, the more layers of glass in your window, more efficient your window is. This is most apparent in single-pane windows. Single pane windows have a single pane of glass between the inside and outside of your house. They generally have an r-value of 1 and are terrible insulators compared to other more expensive windows.

Multi-pane windows are more energy efficient than single-pane windows because they have at least one layer of air between them. Because air is a better insulator than glass, you get better efficiency from your windows when you have a layer of air between window panes.

The least expensive way to increase your windows efficiency with more layers of glass is to purchase and install storm windows. Storm windows are basically a secondary window hung outside your primary window. While storm windows help protect your primary window from the elements of weather they also provide a layer of air between themselves and the primary window they protect.

Double and triple-pane windows are the next step in conserving energy with your windows. Because the width of the layer of air is so important, double pane windows have a higher r-value than single-pane windows with storm windows installed.

Triple-pane windows are even more effective than double-pane because they have 2 insulating layers of air within them.

Higher end window manufacturer's are now using more dense gases like argon and krypton as the filler between panes of glass. Because these gases are more dense than oxygen they provide better insulation between panes and higher overall r-values. The downside is they are usually much more expensive.

Author,
Eric Stewart
HomeRenovationsCenter.com Staff

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