How to obtain greater energy savings by using windows and shields

Understanding how to obtain greater energy savings by using windows and shields is essential to have a better management of finances and to lighten the exploitation of natural resources.

At a focal time for evolution, when environmental policies play an important role in economic, political and social choices, we must use every tool to achieve greater energy savings.

Doors and windows and shields represent a possible solution for everyone. If they are able to isolate the environments in which we spend a lot of time, we invest every moment of our life in favor of the environment with consequent reductions in consumption.

An increasingly advanced technology in the door and window sector offers valid alternatives for summer and winter through the use of heat-resistant windows:

• thermal break;

• selective glass;

• low emissivity glass.

Since windows occupy a large portion of the facades, we must understand how energy savings is important to find solutions for a sustainable life.

Energy saving during summer

Energy saving during summer is a very important issue.

Do you know how expensive is cooling your home? It probably affects your finances more than heating up. The Mediterranean climate of our country offers us a few months of strong heat compared to cold ones.

When we talk about energy saving in the home, attention moves almost unconsciously to the cold season, underestimating the importance of reducing consumption related to the use of air conditioning systems to cool.

We want to suggest some solutions that can help you save energy in the summer. These are good habits and technical solutions that will radically change your bills:

• keep the windows closed in the hot hours and open them in the evening;
• set the air conditioner in dehumidifier mode or use a simple fan;
• clean your air conditioner filters often;
• uses LED lamps;
• turn off the appliances you don’t use;
• choose energy-efficient appliances;
• improve the insulation of environments;
• install shields and shading.

You can do everything by applying a little common sense to everyday life, but that’s not enough. In fact, better thermal insulation can be obtained by more important interventions, on the masonry works by insulating the facades and changing the windows.

The latter can allow you to achieve a greater energy saving during the summer.

In the hot season, in order to contain consumption costs, we must keep two factors under control that raise costs:

• greenhouse effect;
• solar factor.

The greenhouse effect ensures that the heat entering an environment does not escape. If during the winter it is favorable to our well-being, in summer it causes unacceptable costs in the bill.

Of course, windows are the element that favors the greenhouse effect in a building. Above all, it happens when the glass surfaces are exposed to the west, south and east, where the radiation has more intensity.

To solve the problem we need technical solutions, which are the prerogative of experts in the window and door sector. Among these we recommend shields such as selective glass, which reduce the passage of solar radiation, leaving the rooms cool without limiting the passage of light.

The selective glass used in the production of double glazing allows even greater energy saving. They are obtained by the union of two glasses separated by an air chamber. In the Mediterranean area, selective glass is suitable for maintaining optimal internal temperatures even in the cold period.

In the warm season we can achieve the maximum insulation by adding thermal breaks and shading windows, which limit the passage of radiation as much as possible during the hottest hours.

Energy saving during winter

Energy saving during winter allows us to live in warm environments without incurring huge heating costs and not to abuse exhausted and over-exploited energy resources.

Although our country enjoys a good climate, it is evident that there are areas that are more exposed to the cold, more windy, shaded, humid and at high altitudes: all factors that do not favor home, office or commercial buildings comfort.

Think of the attractive all-glass facades which, if not adequately insulated, let in the cold during winter and force an excessive use of heating systems.

To prevent this situation, we must first adopt common sense, paying some little daily attention to the good use of the spaces we live in.

These are small actions that can make a difference, such as:

• • set the heating temperature at 20 °, achieving savings of up to 10% in one year;
  • set the thermostat to switch off at night or when the rooms are empty;
  • carry out routine maintenance on the boiler and heating system;
  • choose a boiler with a power greater than 100 Kw, halving maintenance costs;
  • use thermostatic valves to save energy;
  • do not cover the radiators with furniture or curtains;
  • change the air for just 10 minutes;

• insulate the facades;

• choose thermal doors and windows.

Doors and windows play a central role in living comfort. Thermally broken windows and shields can significantly reduce your expenses and have a much more moderate environmental impact.

Core of energy saving during winter is thermal transmittance, that is the ability of a material to conduct heat. In our case we are concerned with the thermal transmittance of the windows and how much they are able to let the external cold pass. If we are looking for a pure and minimal design that acts as a furnishing element, we must rely on experts able to combine technology and architecture.

Let’s talk about a Capoferri thermally broken window. The system integrated into the profile is completely invisible. It has a high resistance to low temperatures, air, water and guarantees excellent acoustic insulation. So energy saving during winter is possible thanks to the use of efficient and highly aesthetic windows.

That is not all. Glass is very important. As we have said, selective glass is efficient also in the winter, but in some harsh climate areas or where the building is more exposed to the elements, we can opt for low-emissivity glass.

This type of glass has an invisible coating that limits the dispersion of heat from the inside to the outside and which makes it particularly suitable for areas with a cold climate or where the temperature range between day and night is very strong.

How to design shields and windows

In order to ensure better energy savings you must design shields and windows correctly.

The goal is to offer living comfort during both summer and winter, protecting the interior spaces from outside temperatures by minimizing the use of HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning).

To properly design windows, it is essential that architect and producer collaborate in a careful evaluation of some parameters:

• climatic area;
• movement and position of the sun throughout the day and year;
• morphological characteristics of the building and orientation;
• presence of natural or artificial shade (trees or buildings) and its quality.

Only after these careful assessments will you be able to choose the type of frame and shields suitable for protecting the internal environment of homes, offices, commercial destinations and public buildings from the weather. In this way you will also guarantee energy savings.