Shopping for a replacement window is not just about finding which style goes well with the rest of your home’s interiors or exteriors. It is also about taking its energy performance ratings into account, one of which is the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC). Read on as we explain what it is and which specific SHGC rating works best for your home.
The SHGC is a measure of the amount of solar radiation that passes through a window. It is expressed as a value between 0 and 1 — the lower the rating, the smaller the amount of solar heat entering your home via the windows.
With that in mind, choosing the ideal SHGC rating for your double-hung, sliding or casement windows should take into consideration the local climate. For instance, a higher rating is recommended for homeowners living in areas that require heating the indoors for most of the year. This means utilizing the warmth coming from the sun.
Montana’s year-round weather requires replacement windows with an SHGC rating of up to 0.40. While this helps ensure cooler indoors during the summer, this also means less heat will pass through come winter. The heating and air conditioning costs within the household should be considered to determine whether the window with less or more solar heat gain is worth purchasing.
It’s also worth considering the other energy performance ratings when shopping for new windows. These include the U-value, which is the measure of a window’s insulating capability, and the visible transmittance (VT), which indicates the amount of visible light penetrating through the window.
Homeowners in and around Helena, MT, know that Renewal by Andersen® of Montana remains the trusted source when it comes to high-quality and energy-efficient custom windows. Learn more about our windows’ energy performance ratings, from the SHGC to the U-value, by calling us at (406) 259-3944 or filling out our contact form.
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