More than 40% of heating and cooling energy is lost through single glazed windows & doors, by improving the thermal efficiency of windows & doors will have a direct impact on reducing energy cost for your home. Compared to ordinary windows and doors, Double Glazed products can reduce energy costs up to 23% Wall insulation can only stop approximately 20% of your heating & cooling costs. However correctly designed windows and doors will help maintain year-round comfort, reducing or, in some cases, even eliminating the need for heating and cooling.

Windows and glass doors are complex and interesting features in a home or building. They let in light and fresh air and offer views that connect interior living spaces with the outdoors. However, windows and glass doors can be a major source of unwanted heat gain in summer and significant heat loss in winter.
A standard 3mm single glazed window or door has poor insulation qualities, with up to 70% of inside heat being gained (in the summer) or lost (in the winter) through a single glazed unit.   The poor energy efficiency of 3mm single glazed windows and glass doors has resulted in them being banned in many other countries.

Double glazed windows and double glazed doors are very energy efficient, as they reduce the amount of heat lost and heat gained which reduces your need for the use of heating and cooling appliances such as reverse cycle air conditioners. The Hi Style double glazed range is Window Energy Rating Scheme (WERS) rated for energy efficiency. The WERS scheme allows windows to be rated and labelled for their annual energy impact on a whole house, in any climate of Australia. The scheme forms part of the quality assurance that smart manufacturers offer their customers. It is all about certified performance.

To participate in WERS, window makers must obtain energy ratings for their products from a rating organisation that is accredited by the Australian Fenestration Rating Council. The Window Energy Rating Scheme is managed by the Australian Window Association (AWA).

Hi Style Windows, is a member of this association. WERS-rated windows meet all relevant Australian standards.

If you’re renovating or building paying the extra for double glazed windows and doors, will make the areas where you and your family spend a lot of time more comfortable and help prevent those hot and cold spots near windows and doors. The thermal efficiency of double glazing comes from a gap between the two pieces of glass filled with Argon gas for maximum performance. The greater the gap the better the performance.

Energy efficient windows and doors make your home more comfortable, dramatically reduce your energy costs and help create a brighter, cleaner, and healthier environment.

If you are renovating or building, your windows may require an energy rating. Your supplier should ensure that the U-value supplied matches the required U-value stated on the energy rating. Remember the lower the U-value, the better.

Uw Value

Heat loss through a building component in general is called the U-value. For windows it is called Uw. When comparing the heat loss from a standard window with the heat loss from a wall.

U-value measures how well a product prevents heat from escaping. It is a measure of the rate of non solar heat loss or gain through a material or assembly. U-value ratings generally fall between 2.0-10.0 W/m2.K for Australian products. The rate of heat is indicated in the terms of the U-value of a window assembly which includes the effect of the frame, glass, seals and any spacers. The lower the U-value, the greater a window's resistance to heat flow and the better its insulating value. The U-value for a window takes account of the various U-values for the components making up the window, so you may see these in technical literature; UW is the value for whole window and because of its importance is usually abbreviated to U, UC is the value at the centre of glass, UF is the value for the frame.

SHGC

SHGC measures how well a product blocks heat caused by sunlight. The SHGC is the fraction of incident solar radiation admitted through a window, both directly transmitted, and absorbed and subsequently released inward. SHGC is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The lower a window's SHGC, the less solar heat it transmits..