Finding the best energy efficient windows for the Texas heat can be a struggle, but we are here to guild you through the process in finding the true winner. There is a few terms that we will want to get familiar with before diving into the statics. U-Factor & SHGC are the most important ones we will be talking about when it comes to energy efficiency. U-Factor is a windows rating on letting heat into your home. Think about the overall heat index outside and how that passes through your windows. The lower the U-Factor the better the window is insulating your home which is critical in our hunt to find the most energy efficient windows on the market. Our second rating is SHGC which measures how much of the sun lights direct heat that passes through the window. Think about when the sun's light is hitting the window and how much heat pass through (the lower the rating the better as well). Below we are going to compare what we found as the best windows on the market and breakdown the best one to go with. We are going to do this a little backwards, first we will breakdown the statistics for each window and then revel our contestants at the end. Two of these companies will probably sound more familiar, but we want to create an unbias opinion and read into the facts of these windows.
These ratings will be for what we found as the 3 best window companies for the Texas heat. We will be displaying the top of the line of their respected companies for energy efficiency. Our first table will be for double hung windows as they are the most popularly bought window. Now these number will be close. We are comparing the best windows out there!
Energy Efficiency Based on Window Testing & Ratings
Ratings | Window 1 | Window 2 | Window 3 |
U-Factor | 0.20 | 0.17 | 0.16 |
SHGC | 0.14 | 0.17 | 0.19 |
Triple pane windows have become very popular in terms of heat transfer prevention. So this may come as a shock that not all these windows are triple pane. While windows 1 & 3 are, window 2 which is actually double pane glass with a heat mirror that utilizes a triple coating of metallic particles to create a better to equal effect that a triple pane does. The big benefit here is that the cost of the window is reduced by 15-30%. Then there's the weight (not all window frames are strong enough to hold triple pane windows), and triple pane doesn't offer much of a difference in sound transfer. The reason it is almost equal to window 3's U-Factor & better than window 1's U-Factor is that they are made with better technology in their heat mirror (I say better technology because the window companies for 1 & 3 actually offer double pane with heat mirror, however their triple pane option beats them out). So window 1 does the best job at keeping the direct sun light's heat out of the house, but is lacking in keeping the house as insulated as the other two options. This is a big deal as you know being in Texas our heat index can get up past 105 degrees with ease in the summer time. Now window 2 is more consistent and extremely close to the lowest U-Factor of window 3 while beating out the direct sunlight heat transfer (SHGC). This gives window 2 the slight edge in energy efficiency in our research. However window 3 is very close, so lets see what we can find on a structural test of durability to see how these windows hold up and see if we can find a more clear winner. Spoiler time Window 1 is an Anderson Series A, Window 2 is a KHPP Meridian, and Window 3 is a Plygem Contractor 2000 - Double Hung Windows.
Additional Data | KHPP Meridian | PlyGem |
STC (Sound transfer) | 27 | 34 |
Design Pressure (psf) | 55 | 35 |
Structural Test (psf) | 82.5 | na |
Water Resistance (psf) | 8.25 | na |
Wind Speed (mph) | 148 | na |
Unfortunately our PlyGem doesn't have a ton of information on its structural testing. Since I was able to find all the information on KHPP I am going to go ahead and leave those stats in here.
How Much Do These Windows Cost?
Cost is going to be your next big factor, since two of these windows are extremely close in heat ratings. The pricing order for these respected window companies from most expensive to least goes. Anderson, PlyGem, and then KHPP Meridian.
Verdict on the Most Energy Efficient Windows For Texas Home Owners
After you compare pricing, overall ratings, and test them out (See video at the bottom). KHPP Meridian Windows would have to be our best choice for new energy efficient windows that won't break the bank. (This goes back to that triple pane cost we were talking about before.) They are tough, durable, and most importantly they do an amazing job at keeping out that dang Texas heat. PlyGem comes in second as they are more cost effective than the Andersen Window & ever so slightly have the best U-Factor rating.
Why haven't I heard of the KHPP Efficient Windows:
KHPP is a quite company, they make high quality products and let their work and products speak from themselves. They also only have a select number of dealers in Texas, and Stevan Buren Roofing, Windows, and Flooring is one of them. If you like let to get your hands on these amazing windows please reach out to us by filling out our contact form, or give us a call at (817) 558-6997
Tax Credit for Energy Efficient Windows
You will find the necessary information for your tax credit for you new Kensington HPP Windows here!
For the Plygem tax credit you can find that here!
For Anderson tax credit you can find that here!