Energy Efficiency
Quality Frame Materials
Various frame materials offer different benefits, such as strength, durability, and the ability to custom finish but how does it impact energy efficiency?
- Aluminum windows are strong, but are not very energy efficient.
- Wood windows can be custom finished to match your decor, but they aren’t very insulating.
- PVC windows, like Sunrise windows, offer the best energy efficiency if they are filled with a polyurethane insulating foam. Without this foam, vinyl windows can be pretty inefficient. So make sure you ask about the type of insulation!
Our energy efficient windows are made from premium, pure virgin uPVC that helps keep your home insulated and is specially designed to be extremely strong and durable. The U in UPVC stands for unplasticized, meaning the BPA and Phthalates (the two plasticizers) have been removed. UPVC is often referred to as ‘rigid plastic’ because of this. The frames are filled with polyurethane insulating foam to give you the best protection from energy loss. Add to that the ability to custom paint the exterior of your windows and the full catalog of designer options, and Our windows bring you the best of all worlds.
Low-E Glass: extra protection
“Low-E” refers to a special coating that reflects infrared light, keeping heat inside your home in winter and shielding your home from the heat in summer. This coating also reflects damaging ultraviolet light, which helps protect interior furnishings from fading. Sunrise offers several low-e options to help you get the best protection no matter where you live.
Multiple Panes: Insulate better
Two panes of glass, with an air- or gas-filled space in the middle, insulate much better than a single pane of glass. Some ENERGY STAR qualified windows include three panes for even greater energy efficiency.
We offer both dual- and triple-pane options with a variety of low-e combinations that meet or exceed ENERGY STAR requirements.
Double Pane Windows
✔️ Cost less than triple pane windows
✔️ Can reduce up to 50% heat loss
✔️ Weigh less than triple pane units
✔️ More popular than triple pane units due to its price
✔️ Performs best with a fiberglass frame
❌ Less energy efficient
❌ The standard glazing in Canada
❌ Less durable than a triple pane unit
Triple Pane Windows
✔️ The most energy efficient glazing option for your windows
✔️ Lower u-values than double pane windows
✔️ High performance when used in combination with a fiberglass frame
✔️ Safer than double pane windows
✔️ Extremely durable
✔️ Heavy weight makes it a stronger and longer lasting window
❌ More expensive
Gas Fill: better than air
Some energy-efficient windows have argon, krypton, or other gases between the panes. These odorless, colorless, non-toxic gases insulate better than regular air by reducing the conduction of heat in the space between the panes of glass. Our windows are manufactured with a 90% argon or krypton gas fill, or come air-filled for high-altitude areas. To learn more about gas fill, visit the Efficient Windows Collaborative site, http://www.efficientwindows.org/gasfills.php.
Spacers: all are not created equal
A spacer keeps a window’s glass panes the correct distance apart and insulates pane edges, reducing heat transfer through the window. Spacers can come in many materials, from aluminum to stainless steel to foam. Besides insulating the panes, spacers need to be durable enough to handle the flex of the glass as it heats and cools throughout the day–all without losing the airtight seal.
Our windows have a structurally sound, stainless-steel spacer with moisture-absorbing desiccant beads inside. This means that when tested under accelerated weather conditions, Sunrise glass systems outlast the competition. To learn more about spacers, visit the Efficient Windows Collaborative site, http://www.efficientwindows.org/spacers.php.