How to keep up with window energy codes

I LTHOUGH options are virtually Ati-ittest for windows with most choices "energy-friendly," wading throughthe definitions andjargon can be confirsing to a salesperson and keeping up with codes can seem impossible.

The best source for specific code information is your state's departrnent of energy or energy commission, advises John Stephenson, marketing specialist at Milgard Windows. It is important to be on their mailing lists to stay abreastof the latest information. Codes affect your business because your customer expects you to know and sell what he needs.

Conducting energy seminars for builder and architect customers is a good way to merchandise your energy savvy. Invite existing and potential costumers to the store and walk them through the codes and other energy related information, Stephenson suggests.

Matt Moody, lumber sales manager at Buena Park Lumber, Buena Park, Ca., seconds this. Contractors are their main window customers. Most are not well informed onwindow energy standards although they usually look for dual glaze with tint, he says.

The store has three or four window seminars every six months with vendors talking about energy requirements and window features. They also display literatwe and have informational VCR tapes in the Window Gallery.

Fourteen of Buena Park's 74 sales people have been trained to sell windows. They attend seminars regularly and participate in in-house product knowledge classes. Moody says they

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look for window experience in hiring new people and put new hires through a window training program.

Sales people need to stress the economy of upgrading windows. A variety of relatively inexpensive window upgrades meet the most stringent energy codes, Stephensonsays. Inmany cases, upgrades can eliminate costly trade-offs. Whether customers are attempting to keep warmth in or sun glare, noise and cold out, you can help them, he adds.

Stephenson classifies energy saving options by frame type and glazing, starting with appearance and energy performance of the threeprincipal frametypes.

Aluminum frames are sturdy without being thick and bulky. They allow maximum glazing area and are cost effective. Available in an array of shapes, styles and colors, today's aluminum windows can be quite energy efficient, he points out.

Vinyl windows are excellentenergy performers, Stephenson maintains. Their substantial appearance resembles freshly painted wood windows, yet they require little maintenance and never need painting.

Wood windows are energy efficient and popular among home owners, but all-wood surfaces exposed to weather tend to warp and crack, Stephenson cautions. Wood windows clad with aluminum or vinyl do not have this problem.

Energy performance options begin with dual glass windows, now fairlY standard. Stephenson advises insulated glass units should measure 314" to l" overall, including air gap and two sheets of glass.

Low-E glass is oftenrecommended to block ultraviolet (UV) and window heat loss. A special applied coating allows most light to pass through, while mostunwantedheatdoesn't. Low-emissivity coating lets in 95% as much sunlight as ordinary insulated glass, so the home appears bright, Stephenson points out. A majority of the ultraviolet that can fade rugs, fabrics and curtains is blocked. Most long-wave infrared energy is blocked, keeping winterheat in and summer heat out.

Argon gas improves the thermal performance of insulating glass with a thermal conductivity 30% lower than that of atmospheric air. By combining Low-E glass with argon, thermal radiation throughthe glass and thermal conductivity are reduced, nearly doubling the performance of standard insulating glass. Argon is a cost effective way for customers to increase energy performance and meet energy codes, Stephenson says.

Tinted glass to combat solar heat gain is another option. Popular residential tints are bronze and gray; reflective tints are also popular. Stephenson adds the combination of tinted glass and Low-E should be suggested to provide optimum performance against constant glaring sunlight.

Sales people need to know about Uvalues which measure a window's thermal performance and refer to the heat flow through the window. Better energy saving performance is provided by low U-values. When helping a customer compare manufacturers' U-values, be sure you're comparing apples withapples, Stephensoncautions. Some manufacturers promote "center of the glass" U-values, usually lower than the average U-value for an entire window.

He also warns that wind and rain performance are "musts" for windows. Stock only windows that pass the AAMA 101 test procedures. They at minimum will withstand at least a 40 mph wind with an 8" per hour rain rate with no leakage.

If a customer needs to reduce outside noise, laminated glass is a good recommendation, although dual glazed windows have excellent sound deadening properties. Laminated glass also blocks 90% of the ultravioletradiation.

Knowing the basics will help your sales staff to better seryice window customers, but they also need to learn specific sales benefits for each window available or on display in the store.