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What
is U-factor?
U-factor is a measure of insulation.
It indicates the relative efficiency of a window system in keeping
hot air on one side and cold air on the other.
Technically, it is determined by measuring
the Btu/hour/ft2/0F. The lower the final figure, the better. For
instance, a factor of 1.25 is horrible; a factor of .35 is great.
Some common U-factor values:
- Glass with aluminum frame = 1.25
- Glass with wood or vinyl frame = .91
- Dual glass with wood or vinyl frame,
argon gas fill, and low-e coatings = .32
- Glass with wood or vinyl frame plus Advanced Energy Panel
= .29
To receive the coveted Energy Star rating
in the northern US, windows must have a U-factor of less than
.35 (For more information, click here on
Energy Star.)
What
is R-value?
R-value is a measure of insulation, the higher the better.
R-values are commonly used for fiberglass
and other types of wall and ceiling insulation. U-factors are
used for windows.
U-factor is different from R-value. One
is the reciprocal of the other. Glass with wood frame has
an R-value of 1.1, but adding Advanced Energy Panels increases it to an R-value
of 3.4
Whether you use the U-factor standard or
the R-values, Advanced Energy Panels triple the insulation value of your
old windows. In fact, Advanced Energy Panels can bring your old windows up
to Energy Star standards for a small fraction of what it would
cost to install replacement windows. |
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Engineering Tests
Advanced Energy Panels are Built with High Performance, Durability, and Safety. But
don't just take our word for it! Here's what the experts had to say.
Ross DePaolo, WESTLAB, Madison, WI, 2001
Results
Advanced Energy Panels triple the insulation value of
a conventional window, improving the U-factor from .91 to .31 (see
details at left about "What is U-factor?").
Tested:
One large, 48" x 48" single-glazed
window versus the same window with the addition of Advanced Energy Panels.
Impact on Consumer:
On a 0°F day outside,
with a 70°F house temperature, the inside
surface of a single-glazed window will have a temperature of only
17.3°F; but with Advanced Energy Panels installed,
the inside surface increases to 56.1°F
John Pattison, INVENTOR, Troy, NY, 1996
In addition to the insulation value demonstrated
above, Advanced Energy Panels have an inherently non-infiltrating design. This is
because it has:
- No moving parts
- A perimeter air seal
- Two layers of impermeable film.
There is simply no way for cold air to get in.
Advanced Energy Panels cover up all the leaks, gaps, moving parts (and their worn
seals) which are otherwise impossible to plug on conventional windows.
Sergio Rucci, ETC LABORATORIES, Rochester,
NY, 2000
Results:
Self Ignition Temperature, ASTM-D-1929, is
660°F
Rate of Burning, ASTM-D-635; Average Time of Burning is 5 seconds;
Average Extent of Burning is 1.36 inches.
Smoke Density, ASTM-D-2843 is 36.9%.
Tested:
The glazing film used in Advanced Energy Panels, which
is a very thin, clear, heat-shrink polyolefin.
Impact on Consumer:
For all practical circumstances, Advanced Energy Panel
film is not a smoke or fire hazard. It is so thin and light that in
a fire it basically just shrivels up.
Bowling
Would you drop a 14-pound bowling ball on a glass
window? Of course not! Not even if the window was made of Plexiglas
or other tough material.
But we can't resist a challenge, so we dropped the
ball on our Advanced Energy Panels from a height of six feet. Result? The
glazing films stretched, rebounded and showed hardly a trace of the
impact. (But our tester's bowling score is still dismal.)
 Baseball
Next, we played hardball. Flinging a baseball
at the Advanced Energy Panel resulted in a rapid bounce back. Even at the local
batting cage, with the pitching machine cranked up to 60 mph, the Advanced Energy Panels
survived. Our conventional glass window did not.
Freeze frame from video of 60 mph baseball. Ball
is shown deflecting the normally taut Advanced Energy Panel film from left to
right about 4". An instant later, it rebounded, leaving the film
without a scratch. |
