JELD-WEN™ named Energy Star Partner of the Year for 2003
JELD-WEN™ is the only window and door company to be named Energy Star Partner of the Year for 2003. JELD-WEN™ has been a partner in the U.S. Department of Energy program since 1998, and is being honored for its leadership in manufacturing products that earn the ENERGY STAR label, the mark of environmental protection through energy efficiency. By choosing ENERGY STAR qualified products, the typical household can save up to 30 percent on their energy bills, or about $400 a year. In 2001 alone, ENERGY STAR helped Americans save enough energy to power 10 million homes and reduce air pollution—the equivalent to removing 12 million cars from the road—and saved consumers $6 billion. JELD-WEN™ offers a wide-range of ENERGY STAR qualified products in the full spectrum of windows and doors.

The cost of energy has become a major factor in window selection. Each climate has unique conditions that require different aspects of a window's performance. Where it gets hot, a window that reduces heat gain can lower air conditioning costs. Where it gets hot in the summer and cold in the winter, a window that minimizes heat gain in the summer while retaining heat in the winter lowers utility costs all year. And in northern climates, having a window that keeps the heat in reduces heating costs. JELD-WEN™ utilizes the latest in window technologies to build window solutions for every climate condition, no matter what your window designs might be.

You can tell a lot about how a window will perform by looking at the NFRC Label. Information on U-factor, solar heat gain, and visible light is provided. The Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN) is an independent third party certification organization with industry accepted standards for evaluating and certifying energy performance. NRCAN numbers are used by the ENERGY STAR Window Program.

If you use your heater a lot you should have a window with a low U-factor. The lower the U-factor, the greater a window resists heat transfer. A good U-factor to look for is 0.35 or lower.

Use a lot of air conditioning? Look for a window with a low solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC). The lower an SHGC number, the less UV rays that cause heat gain are coming through a window. Look for an SHGC number of 0.40 or lower.

Like a lot of light? Ask about the visible transmittance (VT) a window has. A VT number is a direct percentage of available light coming through a window; the higher it is, the more light gets through. A good percentage is about 55 percent.

Low-E, or low emissivity, refers to a transparent metallic coating applied to one surface of an insulating glass unit. A window with low-E glass can lower your energy bill because in the summer it reduces the amount of the sun's heat from entering the home, lowering the cooling demand. In the winter, low-E reflects some of the interior heat back into the home, reducing the need for heating your home. Low-E can reduce UV rays that cause heat gain.

The easiest way to know which window is right for you is by looking for the ENERGY STAR Window Program label from the U.S. Department of Energy. It is your assurance that you are purchasing a window that will be energy efficient all year long.