You can utilize the energy performance ratings of skylights, doors, and windows to tell you their potential in terms of losing and gaining heat, as well as transmitting sunlight into your property. Basically, this lets you know just how energy-efficient your home is, which is critical in terms of having a comfortable living environment, protecting the planet, and keeping your energy bills low.
In the United States, the NFRC plays a critical role when it comes to the energy efficiency of products, so we will explain everything that you need to know about this, including why becoming energy-efficient is of paramount importance.
What is the NFRC?
NFRC stands for the National Fenestration Rating Council. This is an organization that runs a voluntary program that tests windows, skylights, and doors based on their energy performance. The organization also certifies products and provides labeling based on their efficiency rating. The label offered by the NFRC presents an easy and effective way of learning about the energy properties of different brands and types of windows, enabling you to make better-informed purchasing decisions.
The energy lost through your doors and windows
There are many different ways that skylights, doors, and windows can lose and gain heat. This includes the following:
- Air leakage through the windows and around them
- The radiation of heat within the property and out of the house from room-temperature objects, such as interior walls, furniture, and people
- Direct conduction via the glazing or glass, door, and/or frame
There are a number of different ways that this can be measured. This includes air leakage, solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC), which is the fraction of solar radiation the skylight, door, or window admits, and U-factor, which is the rate that non-solar heat flow is conducted by a skylight, door, or window. All of these measurements are considered when determining the energy performance of these products, ensuring they are assigned an appropriate label so that consumers can choose the best performing products for their home.
Why energy efficiency is something that we should all be striving for
Now that you know what the NFRC does, you may be wondering why it matters! Well, there are a number of different reasons why we all need to be concerned with our energy use.
Protect the planet
There is only one place to begin when it comes to energy use, and this is with the protection of the planet. We all need to do our bit to protect the planet, and choosing energy-efficient products is one of the best things you can do. With less air escaping your home via your windows, you will be less reliant on gas and electricity. This means less waste, lower pollution levels, and it reduces your reliance on non-renewable resources, helping us to create a more sustainable future.
Reduce your expenses
Not only will an energy-efficient household benefit the planet, but it will help your bank balance too! If you have windows and doors that are energy-efficient, less heat is going to escape, which means that you won’t require as much manmade energy to keep your home warm and comfortable. You should notice a considerable reduction to your utility bills on a monthly basis, which will mean that you soon cover the cost of having the new windows or doors installed to begin with.
Other benefits associated with becoming more energy-efficient
There are plenty of other benefits that you can reap by becoming more energy-efficient. You will be able to create a much more comfortable living environment and you can protect your health, as you won’t rely on the likes of air conditioning and central heating as much. In addition to this, by installing more energy-efficient windows and doors, you can boost the value of your property. After all, this is something that a lot of people are looking for when it comes to buying a new home today.
So there you have it: everything that you need to know about the NFRC and energy efficiency in the United States. A lot of homeowners across the country are unaware of whether or not their home performs well on the energy-efficiency front. Addressing this is critical and will bring about a number of benefits for both the homeowner and the planet.