Here’s how you can start saving on energy costs with a heat shield from Window City Pros
By Ken McEntee
The saying, “two’s company, three’s a crowd,” may apply to windowpanes, insists Chad Howman, owner of Window City Pros, which Chad calls the fastest growing replacement window company in Ohio.
“You can normally expect to pay 25 to 35% extra to get the energy-saving benefits of triple pane windows,” Chad reveals. “Because of our exclusive dual pane Pro Tech windows, you don’t need to spend more for bulky triple pane glass.”
Pro Tech double-pane windows feature an exclusive heat shield that reflects UV light, helping to keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter, while conserving energy.
Heat shield technology, Chad explains, is an advanced system developed at the esteemed Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It utilizes green building materials and an advanced insulating system of glazing the interior of dual-paned windows with tiny metal particles that reflect UV light while allowing visible light to pass through the window. The chamber between the windowpanes is filled with argon gas to create the heat shield.
“Our exclusive layer of Mylar film allows for better energy efficiency than triple pane windows, but without all the extra weight and cost,” Chad says. “The heat shield technology developed at MIT is used in all zero emission buildings in the world. Because of our heat shield technology, we can guarantee a minimum of 40% savings on your upcoming energy bills.”
Many replacement windows look similar, so it can be difficult to determine how the performance of one product differs from another, Chad says.
The difference is revealed on the Energy Star product label.
Most of the vinyl windows on the market, in order to be Energy Star rated, need to have a solar heat gain rating of .30 or below, and a U-factor of .30 or below, Chad says.
“That describes the standard double pain, low-E (emissivity, or emission, of radiant energy) argon window that 99% of all replacement window companies are carrying right now. Pro Tech windows are rated at .20 or better.”
The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient rating is the measurement of how well the window blocks the sun’s heat. Similarly, the U-factor measures the passage of non-solar heat.
The story of Pro Tech is no tall tale.
But it does involve one of the world’s loftiest buildings.
“I was looking for a window that would provide superior energy savings without driving up the cost to the homeowner,” Chad says. “I came across a company that put windows in the Empire State Building, in New York City.”
Around 2008, Chad says, energy prices were spiraling out of control—much like they are today. The owners of the Empire State Building hired a company to replace all of the skyscraper’s windows with .30/.30 double pane, low-E argon glass.
“Unfortunately, they didn’t see the energy savings they had anticipated and asked, ‘What do we do now?’” Chad says. “They thought the only option to improve the energy rating was an upgrade to triple pane windows that were rated at .20 on both solar heat gain and U-factor.”
Unfortunately, the triple pane windows were too heavy for the building.
“The architects and engineers said, ‘If we put all these triple pane windows in, this building’s going to come collapsing down.’”
Another manufacturer had a solution—dual pane windows with the .20/.20 rating of their triple pane counterparts. The new windows on the Empire State Building paid for themselves—along with the earlier replacements—in four years, Chad says.
He was impressed.
“Those windows were only being offered for commercial-grade properties.” Chad says. “I reached out to the manufacturer and asked whether they could put the same glass into a vinyl window for houses. They said, ‘absolutely.’ I went to visit them and picked out the locks and latches and other design features and we created an exclusive residential product that nobody else is offering.”
Window City Pros’ Pro Tech windows are custom built to precise measurements, which ensures a tight, perfect fit, Chad promises.
Getting started on the path toward lower energy bills and a more comfortable home is simple when you schedule a no-obligation consultation with Window City Pros, at 440-306-5444. You can learn more by visiting WindowCityPros.com.