Energy Efficiency

The ENERGY STAR® label was created by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to help consumers quickly and easily identify windows and other products that save energy.

Results are already adding up. Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR®, saved enough energy in 2005 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 23 million cars - all while saving $12 billion on their utility bills.

Amerimax windows proudly carry the ENERGY STAR® label and are American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) and National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) tested and certified. Amerimax products with the Ameriglass ig™ system meet or exceed the minimum ENERGY STAR® criteria for energy efficiency in all climate regions.

By selecting Amerimax, you are buying technologically advanced windows with unsurpassed energy efficiency that will deliver years of energy savings.

Windows That Measure Up

The NFRC Label

The NFRC has developed a window energy rating system based on Whole Product (Total Window) performance.

The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) energy performance label can help you determine how well a product will perform the functions of helping to cool your building in the summer, warm your building in the winter, keep out wind, and resist condensation. By using the information contained on the label, builders and consumers can reliably compare one product with another, and make informed decisions about the windows, doors, and skylights they buy.

NFRC adopted a new energy performance label in 2005. It lists the manufacturer, describes the product, provides a source for additional information, and includes ratings for one or more energy performance characteristics.

The information contained on the label is also available in the NFRC's online Certified Products Directory. http://www.nfrc.org/

The definitions for the terms are:

U-Factor (U)
U-factor measures how well a product prevents heat from escaping. The rate of heat loss is indicated in terms of the U-factor (U-value) of a window assembly. U-Factor ratings generally fall between 0.20 and 1.20. The insulating value is indicated by the R-value, which is the inverse of the U-value. The lower the U-value, the greater a window's resistance to heat flow and the better its insulating value.

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC)
The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) measures how well a window blocks heat from sunlight. The SHGC is the fraction of the heat from the sun that enters through a window. SHGC is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The lower a window's SHGC, the less solar heat it transmits.

Visible Light Transmittance (VT)
Visible Transmittance (VT) measures how much light comes through a product. The visible transmittance is an optical property that indicates the amount of visible light transmitted. VT is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The higher the VT, the more light is transmitted.

Condensation Resistance* (CR)
Condensation Resistance (CR) measures the ability of a product to resist the formation of condensation on the interior surface of that product. The higher the CR rating, the better that product is at resisting condensation formation. While this rating cannot predict condensation, it can provide a credible method of comparing the potential of various products for condensation formation. CR is expressed as a number between 0 and 100. *This rating is optional and manufacturers can choose not to include it.

* ENERGY STAR is a registered mark owned by the U.S. government.