Replacing the windows in your house can be a good investment and a nice upgrade. In many older houses, the original single pane and casement windows don’t operate well, are missing cranks and screens that can be hard to replace because of odd sizing, and can equate to higher heating and cooling costs.
I’m seeing a lot of triple pane windows lately, and was curious about the efficiency and cost differences between installing new dual pane or new triple pane windows.
There was an article in the local newspaper that discussed this very thing - here’s the key points:
Energy Star (a federal program that rates products by their energy use) names six window types that meet its energy efficiency guidelines for the area that includes Tucson. Of those six window types, four are triple pane systems.
TEP, our local energy company, ran a computer model to compare dual vs. triple pane window systems. A third pane of glass did improve the home insulation, but didn’t block more heat from sunlight than the dual pane windows.
TEP says their computer model saved about $20/year by using triple pane windows instead of the dual pane. A local window company says a typical dual pane window runs around $850 while the same size in a triple pane would cost around $1400. (Yowza! )
So at $20 per year, and potentially a $600 additional cost per window… I’m thinking it’d take a long time to make up that extra cost in savings.
November 30th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
Great information. Replacing windows is one of the most important home improvements you can do to improve the energy efficiency of your home.
May 6th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Thank you for the straight talk not the triple talk. A company here in Tucson called Triple Pane Systems of Arizona claims on their advertising that their triple pane window is 47% more efficient than the best dual pane window. I wasn’t sure about that, thanks for setting the record straight.
June 24th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
the computer model that TEP used was a very misleading test! They did not use the windows that Triple Pane Systems sells. It has been proven without a doubt that these windows really work!! You should really check them out for yourself…..you won’t be sorry.
June 28th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
does triple pane reduce noise I live on busy street
July 6th, 2008 at 8:09 am
Bad TEP, BAD, BAD, BAD!!!!!!
You never, ever, ever hang your professional position on a model if emperical (actual test) data is available. I am disgusted that TEP could not find the money to buy some of each window and test it for their own information. They are going to be the ones making recommendations to consumers, wouldn’t they want to know? Never use the model if you have the real data!
Anyhoo… Having put my hand in front of and behind a triple pane window at many home and garden shows, the triple panes with the proper coatings make a MASSIVE difference in heat rejection to the inside, which is my second biggest motivation.
My biggest motivation is finding something I can do today that will pay itself off in 50 years, when my grandkids look at me and ask what I have done to help save energy for them. That payoff is in 50 years in one lump sum!!!!
Buying windows is like buying a bicycle or anything else with lots of manufacturers in the market, if you buy cheap you can expect to be disappointed. If you invest well, you will have a good return on your investment.
What is your present day investment worth to your grandkids? They are the ones you should really be thinking about.