Testimonials - Vinyl Windows
Energy Efficiency
The right windows and doors can make a tremendous difference in how comfortable a home will be. In warm regions, finding energy-saving windows that keep out the heat of the sun goes a long way towards lowering your cooling costs, reducing fading of your carpets, paint and furniture, and keeping you more comfortable. You can tell a lot about how a window or door will perform by looking for the NFRC and ENERGY STAR® labels. There you can find information about a windows U-factor, Solar Heat Gain, Visible Light, and how they can make a difference in the comfort and lifestyle of your home.
PGT is a proud partner of the US Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR program and offers ENERGY STAR qualified window and door configurations. Performance criteria for windows and doors vary depending on what region of the country the window is being sold. The ENERGY STAR criteria for residential windows and doors are tailored to four climate zones as shown below. A product’s energy efficiency for a given climate is based on its impact on heat gain and loss in cold weather and heat gain in warm weather. So windows that are part of an energy efficient home improvement plan in Florida would not necessarily be energy efficient windows in New York and vice-versa.

ENERGY STAR windows and doors are an easy way to identify window products that utilize the latest window technology. To qualify for the ENERGY STAR label, windows must be certified by the National Fenestration and Rating Council (NFRC). ENERGY STAR uses the U-factors and Solar Heat Gain Coefficients (SHGC) to label windows and doors that qualify for your climate.
U-Factor – The lower the U-Factor, the greater the window’s resistance to heat flow and the better its insulation value. A good U-factor is 0.35 or lower.
SHGC – A number that represents the amount of the sun’s heat-causing energy allowed through a window. The lower the number, the less solar heat passes through the window. Look for an SHGC of 0.40 or lower.