Choosing Windows: New Report Addresses Cost, Performance

When you choose windows for a project, you need to find the right balance among seven key decision drivers, including cost, durability, energy and comfort performance, aesthetics, and more. BuildingGreen’s special report—Better Window Decisions: Mastering the Performance and Cost Options—dives deep into these topics, giving you the framework you need to make an informed decision.

Among many other topics, this 55-page special report by founder Alex Wilson and president Nadav Malin discusses strategies that save money, like avoiding overglazing (you probably don’t need as many windows as you think). The report also provides detail on the anatomy of a high-performance window: the ins and outs of low-e coatings, warm-edge spacers, and gas fills as well as the price, performance, and sustainability of different window frame materials.

A key topic is how to use NFRC ratings—not only the basics of U-value, VT, and SHGC but also more technical details: CR (condensation resistance) and AL (air leakage). The report also takes a look at ultra-efficient windows, including the difference between European and North American window specs (hint: it’s not just the metric system).

Get the Better Window Decisions Report