What is Low-E Glass, Anyway?

Do you love sunlight streaming through your windows? Natural lighting is an asset to any home, but if your windows are not energy-efficient, you may be paying more for this light than you previously realized.

What is Low-e glass?
From ultraviolent light fading your fabric furniture to infrared light heating up your home and increasing your monthly utility bill, the sun’s rays can be detrimental. Don’t worry, however, because this is where low emissivity coatings can help. This coating is a microscopic layer of transparent metallic oxides.

This layer reduces the amount of UV and IR light that passes through glass, while simultaneously not minimizing the amount of visible light that passes through. What this means, is that Low-e windows keep out heat and harmful UV rays, while keeping your home bright and comfortable. On the other hand, it also works as an insulator, keeping your house warm during colder winter months.

Standard glass windows absorb 84 percent of the sun’s rays and only reflect 16 percent. This means that on hot, muggy Florida summer days, 84 percent of the sun’s rays are going right through into your home, heating up your house. Your air conditioning system has to work harder to keep your house cool. In comparison, Low-e glass windows generally reflect 96 percent of the sun’s harmful rays and only let through 4 percent. 

To measure the effectiveness of specific Low-e glass, manufacturers consider the U-Value, which is the rating for each window based on how much heat loss it allows, and visible light transmittance, which is how much light passes through a window. Other measurements include solar heat gain and light to solar gain. Essentially, the less harmful UV and IR rays a Low-e glass allows through, the better off homeowners will be. 

Should you invest in Low-e glass windows?
If you intend to install replacement windows at your house, Low-e glass is a must. If you want to boost the energy-efficiency of your home, this dynamic coating will insulate your home, keeping temperatures regulated and your heating and cooling bill down. You also will never have to worry about your favorite fabric furniture or rugs fading because of the sun’s rays. 

Ready to install Low-e replacement windows in your home? Come to NewSouth Window Solutions, where our window solutions feature Low-e glass, foam enhanced frames and argon gas fills to keep your indoor temperatures perfect year round. We also take full responsibility for all of our high-quality, factory-direct windows and how they are installed in your home. Contact us today to learn more about our commitment to professional window installation at an affordable price.