Why Double Glazed Windows Are So Energy Efficient?

Posted by Jessica Ayla on May 29th, 2017

It was not so long ago when windows were made using just a single pane of glass. But, things have changed quite drastically in the recent few years. Before we discuss the change, let us first understand why this change happened in the first place? Single glazed windows have a thickness of just a few millimetres, and this makes them poor insulators, which means that these windows make it easy for cool air and heat to pass through them quite easily. Single glazed windows were being used with these advantages for centuries; however, with the discussion of money savings and energy efficiency coming into the picture, it was time to look for a better and more cost-efficient alternative. In came the concept of double glazing.

Double glazed windows are constructed using two panes of glass, maintaining a very thin air gap in between the two panes. It is a far better energy efficient way than single glazed windows. Double glazing in Hampshire has the potential of turning your windows into very good insulators; you will not refer to them as energy drains anymore. When you contact a double glazing contractor or company in Basingstoke, Hampshire, you need to make sure that they know that the panes of glass and the air that are hugely responsible for the success of the process would differ for different climates, windows’ orientation to the sun, and exposure of windows to the elements. Using glass panes with same width and leaving the same air gap for every double glazing done in Hampshire wouldn’t deliver the expected results. There is a physics behind it all that the contractor or company you are going to work with should understand.

You can either get your older, single glazed windows retrofitted or buy new double glazed windows that are constructed as a single unit. There is a big role of the sealed air gap between the two panes of glass. It moderates the impact of the difference in inside and outside temperature. This has your windows acting as great insulators.

Double glazing reduce solar heat gain quite significantly. The pane of glass facing the sun absorbs a bit of the heat thrown at it and reflects the rest of it away. And the air gap doesn’t allow the small amount of heat absorbed by the outside pane of glass to pass through the inside pane of glass. This is why double glazed windows are so energy efficient, especially in summer.