We are replacing the windows on our South Florida home and are wondering if any door and window manufacturers provide both Energy Star benefits and Hurricane Resistance. It appears that the Hurricane Resistant windows are aluminum and the Energy Star are vinyl. Are the two categories mutually exclusive? Also, are either of these categories affected by the style of window (i.e., casement, awning, sliding, etc.)?
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Just about any of the major window manufacturers offer impact windows that will meet both of your needs - energy performance and impact resistance.
The primary problem with achieving energy performance in an impact rated IG is that the thickness of the laminated glass used to resist the impact requires that the airspace in the IG unit is thinner than is generally required for optimum energy performance.
In your part of the country the primary consideration is blocking solar heat gain. Solar heat gain is blocked by using a LowE2 coating inside the IG unit.
The narrow airspace resulting from the use of laminated glass is a U-factor issue and in your part of the country U-factor is considered to be much less important than is blocking that heat from the sun.
The primary problem with achieving energy performance in an impact rated IG is that the thickness of the laminated glass used to resist the impact requires that the airspace in the IG unit is thinner than is generally required for optimum energy performance.
In your part of the country the primary consideration is blocking solar heat gain. Solar heat gain is blocked by using a LowE2 coating inside the IG unit.
The narrow airspace resulting from the use of laminated glass is a U-factor issue and in your part of the country U-factor is considered to be much less important than is blocking that heat from the sun.
