Winters in Illinois are some of the coldest in the country—and typically result in some of the country’s highest energy bills, especially if your home’s windows are old and drafty. Installing new, energy-efficient Pella® windows, with the pros at Siding & Windows Group, may just be the answer to your winter weather woes.
Affordable, energy-saving, durable windows boost your home’s value and give you up to 85% return on investment. With Pella window replacements, you can expect a warmer house and lower energy bills during the cold winter months.
What Affects the Energy Efficiency of a Window?
In a nutshell, windows are more or less energy-efficient depending on how well they keep the elements outside from affecting the indoor comfort of your house. The better the windows can resist the effects of weather and changing temperatures, the more energy-efficient they are. The less you need to use your air-conditioning and heat—and the more you save on utilities.
Treated Glass for Better Performance
The glass in your windows can allow heat, cold, and sunlight into your home, affecting your indoor comfort. New windows use treated panes to help reduce the impact of outdoor conditions on your home.
Pella windows use high-tech, low-emissivity (low-E) glass. In the hot summer months, low-E glass reflects heat away from the home, keeping your indoor spaces cooler without the need to ratchet up the air-conditioning. In the winter, low-E glass keeps heat inside your home, preventing it from escaping.
This type of glass system also blocks a vast amount of harmful UV rays, reducing the sun’s fading effects on your carpet, furniture, and window curtains.
Seals that Prevent Air Infiltration
The air leaks and drafts that are so common in homes with older windows are referred to as “air infiltration.” Instead of keeping weather elements out, inefficient windows let what’s happening outside creep indoors. This leads to increased air-conditioning and heat usage.
Costly drafts are often the result of poorly installed or poorly sealed window frames. As the frames shift and age, caulking can get worn down. Seals can crack. Gaps can occur between the wall and the window frame. As a result, outdoor air seeps in.
To help eliminate infiltration, a high-quality window with state-of-the-art seals, great insulation, and proper installation are key.
Window Design that Limits Conduction
Conduction occurs when heat or cold can pass directly through a material from one side to the other. Conduction is a common issue with window panes, which have one side facing outdoors, and the other side facing indoors.
Simply put—during summertime months, the hot air outside tries to make its way into a cool home through the glass. And during cold Illinois weather, the frigid air relentlessly fights to penetrate the warm windows of the home.
Windows with multiple panes of glass and insulating gases, like argon, can help reduce conduction during extreme winter weather.
What Makes Pella Windows Energy-Efficient?
Pella windows feature energy-saving technology that keeps the heat in and the cold out of your family’s home during cold Chicagoland winters. Here are some of the energy-efficient design features that make Pella windows such a wise choice for any homeowner in Illinois looking to keep their home warm this winter.
Multiple Panes of Glass
Single-pane windows—which are, many times, the original windows of older homes—are the biggest reasons for high energy bills and drafty rooms. Old-fashioned, single-pane windows have no insulation and are likely to have gaps around frames and sashes, so they are susceptible to air infiltration.
Pella windows only come in dual-pane and triple-pane styles which keep electric bills low and your home insulated. An added bonus—the extra panes of glass also help block annoying outdoor noises, keeping your home quieter.
Argon Gas Fill Between Panes of Glass
Pella windows have insulating argon gas between the panes for added protection against the elements. A colorless, nontoxic gas, argon is denser than oxygen. When inserted between window panes, it reduces conduction, creating tremendous insulation from the weather outside.
Low-E Glass Coating
During wintertime, Pella’s low-E InsulShield glass reflects heat back into your rooms instead of letting it escape outside, which allows your home to stay warm. In the summer, low-E glass reflects the heat away from the house, keeping valuable cool air inside.
Pella’s InsulShield glass is also designed for specific climate situations, which ensures that it stands up beautifully against cold Illinois winter days and nights.
Energy Star Partner
An Energy Star partner since 1999, Pella provides windows for smart homeowners that meet or exceed the EPA’s standards of energy efficiency in all 50 U.S. states. Pella’s Energy Star-rated windows save homeowners money, keep homes comfortable, and protect everything inside the house.
Pella windows save homeowners an average of $101-538 each year, which adds up to solid savings over time. Energy-efficient Pella windows provide peace of mind that your home is safe and warm during winter months.
Proper Installation Techniques
Pella takes the time to train and certify select contractors to ensure that their replacement windows are installed according to their exacting manufacturer’s standards. By choosing a Pella Windows Certified Contractor like Siding & Windows Group, you can rest assured that your energy-efficient new windows will be properly installed, giving you lasting performance.
Gorgeous Window Style Options
Pella’s beautiful wood, fiberglass, and vinyl window frame designs are all effective and stylish. All three of these materials have energy-saving features. They look attractive and come in numerous styles, from traditional single-hung and double-hung to bow, bay, specialty shapes, and more.
Enjoy Energy Savings Year-Round with New Windows
There’s a perfect Pella window option for every home—so you can enjoy windows that boost curb appeal, provide beautiful views, and keep your home comfortable year-round.
Siding & Windows Group is a Pella Windows Certified Contractor—and Chicago homeowners love our workmanship. Discover how Pella replacement windows can benefit your home.