What a difference a year makes - sounds familiar but just think about the weather we were all "enjoying" a year ago. Most of us had record snows, extremely cold temperatures and all in all, a really terrible winter. And then it didn't get any better, it went right into an unsettled spring with torrential rains and flooding, tornadoes all over, even in areas that seldom see them. Then into summer with hurricanes - the first major to go the whole way up the east coast - and tropical storms and thunderstorms with hail and damaging winds galore.

I was thinking earlier today about how chilly it was outside and then I thought back to last year. Yes, it is a little chilly, but I'll take the weather so far in 12 over any we had in 11. Thinking about weather gets me thinking about energy bills. It sounds like we are all going to get a break if we are using natural gas this year, even electricity that is generated from natural gas is to be cheaper. But not heating oil for sure, and not most electricity, so energy costs are still a big chunk of most of our household budgets and one of if not the biggest unknown to plan for. Most of your other costs are pretty much fixed, but heating and cooling costs can sneak up and take a major bite out of your budget unexpectedly.

The best way I know to combat that fear is to insulate your house to the best of your ability. Reflective insulation added to good quality levels of traditional batten or foam is a great start. Then evaluate your windows and doors for air tightness and high quality energy saving glass options and energy performance. Make sure the frames are strong and secure - I highly recommend vinyl frames -as they are impervious to almost all the elements can throw at them. Then do the visual check of all the exterior walls for any cracks or holes and get them sealed up tight.

If you have top quality high performance windows and doors, maximum insulation values, and the house sealed up tight - you can then minimize the hits you will get in the future on energy costs forever.

I read a really interesting article last week titled, “Energy Efficiency Hits from the Doors (and Windows).” The name might sound a bit silly, but it talks about how you can actually feel—and hear!—the difference when you replace leaky old windows and doors with newer, ENERGY STAR qualified models. Comfort, lower energy bills, no drafts or rattling window panes—all benefits that I think many homeowners with old homes would appreciate!

The article also provides an important reminder—consumers can still take advantage of federal tax credits for windows and doors for just a few more weeks. That could save you even more money! However, homeowners who want tax credit benefits must move quickly—because the federal tax credits expire on Dec. 31.

To read this entire blog article, visit http://www.eereblogs.energy.gov/energysavers/post/Energy-Efficiency-Hits-from-the-Doors-(and-Windows).aspx.

As we approach Thanksgiving I tend to think about what we have to be thankful for. Obviously the most important is our health, our friends and our families. But as a window manufacturer I'm also proud of our people, hard working and dedicated. I'm proud of our highly energy efficient vinyl windows and doors, which I believe do more to help this country's energy situation than wind and solar combined.

Our products save you from needing to buy and consume more energy, so the power companies don't have to generate more, and it saves everyone money. As I understand it, solar and wind still have no pay back. The cost of the systems is far more than any reasonable payback calculation can justify. It just makes sense to save the energy in the first place rather than try to figure out how to generate more of it. Just think of the impact if all the homes in the United States were improved to having the equivalent of R 10 performance in all the windows and doors. I haven't seen a calculation on that, only on everyone using basic Low E's which was significant, but I have to think it would dramatically cut the energy usage in our country, meaning less need for new sources of gas and oil.

If you can avoid needing to generate more power by using less, that has to be a better strategy. So maybe you should be the one to start all this, consider replacing your windows and doors today, using highly energy efficient vinyl windows and doors.

And please have a Happy Thanksgiving.

October ended yesterday, and Energy Awareness Month officially came to a close, so I thought I’d write a blog to wrap up this very important time of year. Obviously, we all need to be cognizant of our energy usage year-round. But I think this fact really hits home this time of year.

Many of us here in the Northeast got our first taste of winter—in the form of a major snowstorm—this Halloween weekend. And that makes us realize more than ever that NOW is the time to evaluate the energy efficiency of our homes.

Major improvements like new energy-efficient windows, better insulation, and new appliances can significantly impact our home energy bills. And I encourage everyone to undertake these very necessary projects at their first opportunity. Shop smart by looking for the ENERGY STAR label on new purchases.

And for those who can’t undertake a large project right now, there are still many small ways to save a bit of energy in your homes. Turning off lights, replacing furnace filters, installing a water heater blanket—these small, inexpensive improvements can make a real difference to your home energy usage as well.

So, as a wrap up to Energy Awareness Month, please check out the Department of Energy’s “Home Energy Checklist” (http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/services/energy_aware_hec.html) to get some ideas on how you can save energy—and money!

Well, depending on where you live, you may have just gotten a good taste of wintry weather. I know we did! A week of cold, miserable rain, high temperatures in the 40s, lows in the 30s...in October??? Luckily, we've climbed back into the 60s now, with 70s in the forecast.

But the cold weather really made me think. I had to turn on our furnace. And it ran a LOT for a few nights. So of course that brought to mind my soon-to-be-much-higher heating bills, and what I might be able to do to combat them. Fall is really the perfect time of year to make energy-saving improvements like the following to homes, specifically windows:

1. Inspect the exterior caulking around existing windows and doors for gaps and cracks, which will allow cold air to enter the home. Use a high-quality silicone caulk, which can be purchased at any local hardware store, to fill gaps and cracks.
2. Consider placing storm windows over the exterior of existing windows to reduce heat loss and prevent drafts.
3. Consider replacing existing windows a couple at a time to ease the expense associated with replacement, while benefiting from the return received from lower monthly energy bills.

Now’s the time to start thinking about replacing windows, or at least investing in storm windows—before those winter heating bills creep up on us!

With all of the political rhetoric that fills the newspapers and the television, has it made you afraid to spend money? With the housing market still experiencing ups and downs, has it made you throw up your hands and say it just isn’t worth putting another dime into the house? It doesn’t matter what political affiliation you are, all the government arguing - whether it be on the national level or even the state level - makes it difficult to spend money on anything, from true retail goods to improving your home.

I have talked to countless individuals about the economic ups and downs. Everyone is longing for the good times to come again. It seems that ‘bad times’ have lasted a lot longer than the ‘good times.’ I am not sure if this feeling is factual or not. But here is what I am sure of, if we sit on our hands and do nothing, it can be compared to not making a decision at all. And that is the worst thing we can possibly do.

I understand and appreciate that everyone’s situation is different. But if you have the economic means, now is the time to spend. And the best bang for your buck individually and economically is spending in the building products industry. This industry has so many small businesses that employ so many people. The building products industry is truly the backbone of the U.S. economy. There are still tax credits available with different building products and with business still soft, you aren’t going to get a better deal than you are today!

I’m biased towards vinyl replacement windows and doors. There are many great reasons to purchase energy efficient vinyl replacement windows, here are just a handful.

1. Energy efficient
2. Improve curb appeal
3. Can reduce outside noise
4. Make your home more secure and safe
5. Improve the value of your home
6. Certain tax credits still available through the end of the year

There are countless reasons to invest in energy efficient windows and doors. So, don’t let the politicians, the news, even the economy get you down. Do yourself some good and the economy some good, invest in your home and vinyl replacement windows!

I came across a useful article on-line this morning – “The Heat is On – But Energy Efficiency Can Curb Summer Energy Bills.” The article offered energy-efficiency tips in three different areas -- Keeping Your Cool, Keeping the Heat Outside and Clever in the Kitchen.

Two of the tips, in particular, caught my attention, because they focused on advice that I – and other contributors -- often give on this blog. Those two very important tips were:

“Consider investing in energy-efficient windows to save money and increase indoor comfort.” It’s true -- the combination of highly insulating frame materials and a wide variety of Low-E glass options make replacement windows one of the best ways to increase the thermal efficieny of homes—and DECREASE energy bills!

“Plug energy leaks with weather stripping and caulking, and be sure your house is properly insulated, to save up to 20% on energy bills.” That’s a pretty significant savings – 20% -- more than enough reason to re-evaluate your home’s insulation. And summer is the perfect time to consider installing reflective insulation in attics to help cut energy costs and keep these spaces more comfortable.

To read the complete article, and learn more energy-saving tips, visit http://www.ase.org/news/heat-%E2%80%93-energy-efficiency-can-curb-summer-energy-bills.

I came across an interesting article online this morning -- the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority providing a number of tips to help families stop wasting energy and start saving money. That's important to all of us -- myself included -- so it caught my attention. The article included tips on everything from lighting to washers and dryers to water heating and usage -- some really good tips that I'd never considered.

Two items, in particular, caught my eye: First, "Heating and cooling accounts for 60 percent of your home’s energy use. To insure that your heating and cooling methods make the grade, examine how well your home is insulated." A great reminder of how important insulation is -- and how much money it can save on home energy costs. Summer is the perfect time to consider installing reflective insulation in attics to help cut energy costs and keep these spaces more comfortable.

The second tip I noticed was, "Use caulking and weather stripping to seal energy leaks around windows and doors, which could help you save up to 10 percent on your energy bill." So, if that's the case ... imagine how much savings could result from installing brand-new, much-more-efficient replacement windows!

This article just reinforced several of the points we often make on this blog, so I thought I'd share it. To read the complete article, and learn more energy-saving tips, visit http://www.wbng.com/news/state/NYSERDA-Offers-Energy-Efficiency-Tips-for-Homeowners-125567243.html.

Many homeowners consider insulating their homes a chore that should be done to prepare for colder weather, not during the summer months. But, according to the ENERGY STAR web site, insulation keeps homes warm in the winter and cool in the summer. When correctly installed, insulation can deliver comfort and lower energy bills during both the hottest and coldest times of the year. So right now, with the scorching summer heat affecting much of the country, is actually the perfect time to install insulation.

To get the biggest savings, the easiest place to add insulation is usually in the attic, states the ENERGY STAR web site. Attics can get unbearably hot during the summer months which, in turn, affects the rooms in the home below and causes air conditioning units to run more. Installing reflective insulation in attics is an excellent way to prevent heat buildup—and the resulting increase in cooling costs—from occurring. To learn more about the benefits of reflective insulation, visit www.radiaflect.com.

Our interest in saving energy is always increasing. So to address that, in 2010, the Department of Energy (“DOE”) introduced its High-Performance Volume Purchase Program to promote and encourage the sales of very high-performing, energy-efficient windows to both residential and commercial window buyers. This program has been expanded in 2011 to include much more information, vendors and choices for the window-buying public. The web site to go to for information on this program is http://www.windowsvolumepurchase.org. The following article (from http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/14/idUS118462289620110614) also has some very good information on this program.

DOE Makes Buying Insulated Windows a Breeze

By Matt Smith

Tue Jun 14, 2011 1:19am EDT

One of the easiest ways to conserve energy is to prevent heat lose through the use of heavily insulated windows, which the U.S. Department of Energy has just made easier for many businesses, schools, universities, architects, builders and large communities. In May, the Department of Energy expanded its High Performance Windows Volume Purchase Program. The expansions in the program make it easier for both residential and commercial buildings to find the appropriate high performance insulated windows, vendors and prices on the program's expanded website in order to save both money and energy.

Buyers can search through over 30 vendors who have met the requirements of the program for their specific window needs, as long as they meet the requirement of needing at least 20 windows.

"The high performance windows and low-E storm windows in the program can offer significant energy efficiency at attractive prices that make them cost effective in heating-dominate climate zones," said Graham Parker, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory senior staff engineer who manages the program for DOE's Building Technologies Program. The high performance windows also qualify for federal and utility incentives and rebates being offered across the country, he said in a press release. In addition, the DOE has expanded the program to offer commercial windows that also are high performance.

Double-pane, low-E, R-3 windows have typically been considered the standard for energy efficiency for residential construction in the last decade or so, but recent studies have shown that highly insulating, primarily triple-pane, windows reduce average heat loss through the window by more than 30 percent when compared to R-3 windows in residential buildings situated in heating-dominated climate zones. In situations where full window replacement is not an option, low-E storm windows can be installed over current windows to reduce heat loads by up to 20 percent, according to a DOE press release.

The program's website is filled with information about the advantages of insulated windows, including the amount of energy and money they can save depending upon what type of climate the building is in, what builders and residents need to know about ordering and installing these windows and the advantages of buying in bulk, and which type of windows are right for which type of building or budget. The website is also full of examples of buildings that have made the switch to insulated windows, such as the Cambria Office Facility in Pennsylvania and the Wisdom Way Solar Village in Massachusetts, and how this switch has benefited them.

(Reprinted with permission from Green Building Elements)

Most homeowners know that one of the biggest benefits of replacing older, less-efficient windows with newer, high-performance models is energy savings. Today’s replacement windows are much more technologically advanced, and they’re better at reducing home energy usage and improving the comfort of homes.

However, many homeowners believe these energy savings occur primarily during the winter months—when new windows prevent furnaces from running so much. While it’s true that replacement windows can help lower energy bills in cold weather, energy-efficient windows are just as important during the summer months.

Surprised? It’s really very simple: The Low-E coatings that keep warm air inside during winter months also work in reverse—they reflect outside heat away from windows in warm weather. This keeps the inside of homes cooler and results in air conditioning units running much less. Voila—summer energy savings!

When considering new replacement windows, homeowners should ask to see the NFRC ratings for each model they’re considering. Depending upon what area of the country a home is located in, a window’s Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) ratings can be important to consider. SHGC is pretty relevant to areas where warm weather prevails, because this value measures the heat from solar radiation that enters a building. A window with a good SHGC rating can really help reflect that outside heat away from homes and lower air conditioner usage and overall home energy bills.

Replacement windows are a good value ANY time of year, and ANY place in the country. Windows with Low-E coatings are designed to improve home comfort and reduce energy usage—no matter what the weather is like outside!

This week is the ‘unofficial’ start of hurricane season. Many homeowners along the coast look to hurricane windows with protective laminated glass to keep them safe and secure.

But laminated glass isn’t just great for hurricanes. Laminated glass has many benefits to offer than just hurricane protection. This super strong glass has five very strong benefits for homeowners. Laminated glass is considered safety glass. When this type of glass breaks, it creates the visual look of a spider web. Although the glass breaks, it stays attached to the PVB interlayer. Here is an example.... http://www.hurricane-window.com/pages/miami-dade-county-approved.htm

Laminated glass is also security glass. With certain types of laminated glass such as Gorell’s Armor Glass Plus, a ‘would be burglar’ can hit the glass over and over with a baseball bat, and after awhile, they just give up. Here is a quick video showing the effectiveness. Click on the baseball video http://www.gorell.com/pages/armor_glass_plus.htm

Laminated glass also is a great UV protector. It blocks up to 99.5 % of the UV rays that fade carpets and upholstery. In fact, laminated glass is so effective at stopping fading, that some of our country’s most important documents are protected by it, including the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution.

This type of glass also offers great sound reduction from outside noises. Because of the laminated glass make up, the glass helps absorb and deaden sound waves. This helps reduce the amount of noise coming into your house.

And finally if you have a laminated glass unit insulated like Armor Glass Plus (http://www.gorell.com/pages/armor_glass_plus.htm), it comes combined with a high performance glass coating, SolarControl Max. This gives you energy savings and comfort.

So, when you are looking at replacing your windows, consider laminated glass as part of your package. Today, laminated glass like Armor Glass Plus, does a lot more than just protect homes from hurricanes!

The national average price for gas is hovering right around $4/gallon, and it went up for 40 straight days! We certainly get an eye-opening experience when we fill our tanks up with gas. And some interesting, but probably not surprising, trends have developed.

First, smaller and more fuel-efficient automobiles are selling faster and better than they ever have. Chevrolet’s Cruze was one of the most popular automobiles sold in the month of April, and Ford’s Focus sales were up 22%.

What does this mean? It means we as a country are adjusting to the rising fuel costs and, for the most part, we are expecting these fuel prices to keep increasing. It also means that homeowners have to take the lead in helping manage these rising fuel prices.

Every one of us, as homeowners, need to think about energy conservation. Many of us think we can’t afford replacement windows or reflective insulation, But having new energy-efficient windows or reflective insulation installed is similar to purchasing a fuel-efficient vehicle.

We all know fuel prices (in the very best near-term scenario) are just going to level out. To continue letting energy pour out of our homes can be compared to driving a vehicle that gets six miles/gallon. Some people can do it, but the majority of us just can’t.

So when we are struggling with the decision to upgrade the energy efficiency of our homes, realize that it isn’t just about investing in the value of our homes anymore. It’s also about making homes conserve energy—and two of the most proven ways to conserve energy are by upgrading to high-performance windows and reflective insulation.

Not sure what the weather has been like throughout other areas of the country, but here in Pennsylvania, it seems to have been an alternating mix of cool and warm weather – probably more cool weather than warm. No doubt, though, that the hot, humid weather of summer will be here within a month or so.

The reason I bring this up is this – if you have work or anything to do in the attic of your home, you may want to do it sooner than later because it won’t be long before that attic becomes too hot to be in. It takes just a cloudless day with the sun beating down on the roof. In fact, it can even be pleasant outside, but the sun can make your attic unbearable.

There’s a good way to keep that attic from becoming stifling hot – and that’s to have good reflective insulation installed in it. Of course, physically being in the attic isn’t the primary reason at all for keeping it cooler. The real reason lies beneath – the rooms in your home. A hot attic really does affect most of the house. Rooms become uncomfortably warm and the AC has to run constantly as it attempts to bring the temperature down. Now is the time to consider having good reflective insulation installed – before the summer weather really kicks in. A good web site to learn more about the benefits of reflective insulation is http://www.radiaflect.com/

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has introduced a new program—the “Save Energy Now LEADER.” It is a public-private partnership with the goal of achieving significant energy savings and carbon reduction across the U.S. industrial sector. Participants in the Save Energy Now LEADER program must commit to reducing the company’s energy intensity—and associated carbon emissions—by at least 25 percent over the next 10 years. LEADERs must also agree to establish energy use and energy intensity baselines, and to develop energy management plans over the first 12 months of the program. Save Energy Now LEADERs will measure and report their energy intensity, energy use data and achievements annually to the DOE.

The industrial sector plays a major role in the health of the nation’s economy and environment. According to the DOE, manufacturing uses nearly a third of U.S. energy, contributes more to the U.S. economy than any other sector (12%) and employs 14 million workers. Boosting industrial energy efficiency is a means to significantly reduce future carbon emissions in the United States.

To date, 105 U.S. companies – including Gorell Windows & Doors -- have taken this sustainability pledge and become a Save Energy Now LEADER. For more information about this program, visit http://www.eere.energy.gov/industry/saveenergynow/

I have been speaking with some new friends that completed a home energy audit. Because I am in a related energy efficient business, it was an easy ‘ice breaker’ topic for them to bring up.

I asked when they did their home energy audit. They explained that it had been about six or seven months prior. I was a little surprised that they had not taken any action with any of the items in the audit. In any event, we started discussing the things the audit recommended.

One of the easy audit recommendations was to caulk and reseal all the openings in their house. This could include the attic, around the garage, windows, doors, and even vents. This is a quick and simple thing to do, but when the energy audit company completed their analysis, there was no next step. As a result, they did nothing.

As I discussed with my new friends, you know all the things that need to be done to make your home more energy efficient, but you weren’t given any idea on what to do next. I gave them a few ideas. First, although caulking and resealing is an easy and inexpensive thing to do, it also needs to be done on an annual basis. Most people forget to maintain it. As a result, if this is the sole focus for making your home more energy efficient, it will be a losing proposition.

One item that does show up on the energy audit is windows and doors. And although there is more investment involved here, provided you select the right window, it should be more of a permanent solution. And many times, if you ask the energy audit company who they would recommend to do the work, they will not only give you the name of a trusted home improvement company, they have probably negotiated discounts for you as well.

So, if you are getting ready to do that energy audit, be prepared to do a few things. See if the energy audit company has qualified and pre-screened home improvement companies you can work with to implement parts of the energy audit. Also, in your mind, establish an ‘energy efficient’ budget for your home. This allows you to make some decisions on what parts of the energy audit you want to tackle first. And it will also help you follow through on your plan to make your home more energy efficient.

Until consumers start researching windows when planning to replace their old ones, most aren’t aware of the possibilities of buying windows with “gas” between the panes. Yet gas-filled windows have more or less been the rage over the last several years. So, it’s not unusual to hear homeowners ask WHY do we want gas-filled windows?

Here’s basically what happened. Back in the 1970s and 80s, the window industry raced to see how wide a gap it could make between the panes of glass to improve the thermal efficiency of windows. Company A had ¼” thick glass, then company B developed 3/8” thick glass, so company A in turn released ½” thick glass… and the race was on.

All of these glass systems were produced with “dead” air space; just air that didn’t move. Then the labs began to notice an interesting side effect. Once the air space reached wider than roughly ½”, the air inside it began to move. It was no longer the “dead air” space that was required to improve a window’s thermal performance. In fact, the air movement inside these larger spaces actually began to draw heat out of the home rather than keeping it in! Companies found themselves asking, “What now?”

During those times, to achieve the best performance, sheet glass companies were also rushing to develop glass with very thin, practically invisible metallic coatings because the coatings worked well to reflect heat energy. This new coated glass was more expensive, but also pretty much worthless because the larger air gaps simply counteracted the thermal benefits of the coatings.

Long story short, industry professionals eventually realized that filling the air spaces with a gas heavier than air would stop the movement inside between the panes—and work better with the new glass coatings to greatly improve the thermal performance of double-pane and triple-glass windows.

There are three gas elements that are heavier than air and completely safe—and all naturally existent in the air we breathe. They are Argon, Krypton and SF6. Argon is the most common and abundant of the three. It’s also the easiest to extract, so it’s the least expensive. Krypton is more expensive than argon, but still a pretty affordable choice. SF6, however, is the least available gas of the three and thus is not a viable option.

Now window manufacturers have excellent solutions for homeowners—new Low-E-coated glass panes, combined with inert gases that are heavier than air and result in highly effective double- or triple-insulating glass systems. Windows now can achieve center-of-glass R-values in the range of 10—levels that were unheard of some years ago.

The Energy Efficiency Lab Home in Pittsburgh – managed by IBACOS and S&A Homes and involving more than 40 local trade contractors and suppliers – has now moved into its research phase. The home was officially opened in November. All entities involved are now working together to find the solutions that will make high quality, very low energy homes affordable to build, own and maintain.

Because heating accounts for nearly 50% of a typical home's energy use in a northern climate, it’s naturally a real focus of the project. The big question being asked is, “will the conditioned air being paid for stay in the house?" In addition to heating, there’s great interest in seeing how the home performs overall. In the enclosure, the organization will be looking at moisture levels within the walls and the concrete slab, surface temperatures on walls and windows, and condensation levels on windows and doors. In terms of windows, provided by Gorell, IBACOS is interested in seeing whether the temperature and high humidity will pose a risk for condensation. So the Lab Home is riddled with more than 300 sensors measuring things like energy use, moisture, temperature, air flow, and heat flux. Over the next three years, IBACOS will monitor energy efficiency, as well as durability and comfort within the house. Before these types of houses go mainstream, this monitoring will help determine if adjustments need to be made in the design to ensure it is not only energy independent, but also maximizes comfort and durability for the homeowner.

Although new legislation has reduced the amount of the tax credit and changed the qualifying criteria, consumers are still eligible for tax credits for making their homes more energy efficient in 2011. Here is a quick recap of the 2011 federal tax credits available for windows and doors:

The new 2011 legislation provides a consumer tax credit up to $200 for 10% of the cost of qualified replacement windows, (new-construction products are not applicable), or up to $500 for 10% of the cost of qualified doors. This new tax credit applies to ENERGY STAR labeled windows and doors installed between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011.

There is one slight “catch” however. Consumers are limited to a lifetime maximum tax credit of $500 for any combination of tax credit qualifying products (windows, doors, insulation, HVAC, roofing, etc) from Jan 1, 2006, to Dec. 31, 2011. That means that consumers who have already reached or exceeded the $500 limit are not eligible to claim the credit in 2011.

Although this credit is much reduced, it’s still “free money” for those who are considering purchasing windows or doors and have not taken advantage of the previous tax credits.

I was reading an article on home improvements the other day in “Smart Money” Magazine. The authors wrote, “Energy-efficient home upgrades are the textbook example of green economics.” They say that the typical solar power installation costs about $24,000, and usually pays for itself in about a decade. But they go on to say that there are often hidden costs that most people do not anticipate in their calculations. That even though you may not use any electricity, you still must pay the electric company a service charge, in their example, $240 per year to stay connected to the grid. In addition, the insurance premiums for the improved home went up about $100 per year, and then the regular maintenance of the system is another $100 or so per year for materials. Then there is the replacement of defective parts that will likely occur, like the solar converter that transforms the solar power into electricity and will likely have to be replaced at least once, maybe even twice -- at $2,500 per unit. All in all it still may be a viable long-term investment, but you need to look at all the costs to make a proper evaluation.

They go on to say that there really has not been much bang for the buck with people installing “Green” products to improve the resale of their homes. It is still too early to tell, especially with the newness of many of these products, and the lack of public awareness of some of their value and potential. In addition, the housing meltdown certainly has slowed any recognition of the return on investment for green products in homes on the market for resale.

Then there are many products that are said to be “Green” but may be to new to the market and really un-tested as far as reliability. One example is bamboo-flooring marketed as a renewable option for wood, which, if of a proper age when harvested performs well, but if harvested too young, is soft and marks up easily. The article goes on to hybrid cars and home appliances, addressing payback on investment and some surprises on the basic value on some. Another example mentioned is high-efficiency washing machines that have a minimal additional cost, but some consumers are saying they have to do their wash multiple times to get their wash clean, which negates any energy savings they had hoped for.

This brings me to energy savings from other home-improvement products – high performance windows and doors. They really do have a return on investment and, with their energy- saving value, you can make the argument that you are paying for new windows whether or not you have them, so you may as well go ahead and get them. Be more comfortable in your home, have a more aesthetically pleasing home, and enjoy the energy savings to help pay you back on the investment. They require little to no maintenance, you don’t have to wash them twice to get them clean, and there are no hidden fees or charges to get you into trouble in the future. Plus, it’s a proven fact that they add to the re-sell value of homes.

As most window industry professionals know, attempts to extend the 2010 $1,500 Tax Credit on energy–efficient windows, doors, insulation and other home-improvements did not succeed. The legislation passed by Congress and signed by the president last week does include a tax credit, but only up to $200 for ENERGY STAR qualified windows and skylights and up to $500 for ENERGY STAR qualified doors for 2011. This is a far cry from the expiring $1,500 tax credit that is such a good thing in so many ways for consumers and the country. The fight for higher tax credits for replacement windows and doors isn’t over, however. Remodeling and window industry groups are continuing to press for new incentives in 2011. Rich Walker of the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) sums up the situation nicely:

"Homeowners who are currently caught in the crossfire of depreciated home values and a lagging economy will be unable to make these important energy-saving purchases without the assistance of any substantive incentive …” To be sure, consumers have other things on their minds at this time of the year, but we all need to be on board with continuing efforts for new tax credit legislation in 2011. Anyone interested in voicing an opinion about re-establishing a stronger tax credit for retrofit windows and doors should contact their federal legislators.

An easy way to begin the process of contacting representatives in Washington is to visit www.house.gov and enter your zip code in the “Find Your Representative” search form in the upper left corner of the page, or to visit www.senate.gov and select your state from the drop-down menu in the upper right corner of the page.

There’s an excellent article – called “Energy Wasters in Your Home” – that just appeared on Yahoo Finance on the Internet the other day. It was written by ENERGY STAR spokesperson Maria Vargas, who provides some very interesting data as well as excellent tips on how to reduce household energy consumption. She states that the average American household spends $2,200 on energy. That’s a lot of money!

Her good news, however, is that this amount can be cut by a third by doing some simple energy-saving things in the home. Like changing or cleaning furnace air filters, lowering the temperature on the water heater, using a programmable thermostat and switching to those new compact fluorescent light bulbs. There are a lot more tips in the article. Definitely worth taking a few minutes to read.

One thing the writer points out that many may find surprising is that heating and cooling costs typically account for 46% of a home’s electric bill. Heating and cooling are obviously areas that need to be addressed – and she does so in the article. The one thing she might have mentioned, however, is that one of the biggest “energy wasters” in the home happens to be inefficient windows. Nothing contributes more to that furnace running so often in cold weather than inefficient windows. The same goes for the AC running constantly in warm weather.

The $1,500 tax credit for purchasing highly efficient windows is about to end, but energy savings certainly won’t -- if homeowners take action and do something about their windows that are the cause for those high heating and cooling bills.

To see the article, “Energy Wasters in Your Home,” visit http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/111560/energy-wasters-in-your-home

As it’s now the last month for the government’s big tax credit program, many homeowners will find, unfortunately, that it may be too late to purchase windows and receive the $1,500 tax credit. The two-year program ends December 31. For one thing, it takes some time to learn enough about windows to make an informed buying decision about something of this magnitude. Among other things, this kind of decision determines how a home will look, how safe and secure it will be, how much maintenance will be required and how energy-efficient and comfortable the home will be.

Not that it’s impossible to get new replacement windows by the end of the month, but time is also needed to manufacture the windows (most replacement windows are custom made to fit the opening of the old window), have them shipped and then have them installed. Compounding the situation is the reality that manufactures are already overbooked and working around the clock in most cases to fill existing orders. Window dealers and contractors are overbooked with window installation jobs. Most are not accepting new projects for 2010 completion.

Something homeowners may want to consider in regard to the expiring tax credit program is that it also applies to other energy-saving improvements – like attic insulation. For example, the new rising star in energy efficiency, reflective insulation, can be purchased immediately (it’s already manufactured and ready to be shipped) and installed quickly and fairly easily. Not that there’s not skill and expertise involved in installing reflective attic insulation, but installing insulation doesn’t require the same level of skill as a window installation. So some dealers and contractors have workers on staff who are not window installers -- but are skilled in installing insulation properly.

Reflective attic insulation is highly effective. It can reduce home energy costs by as much as 30%. (There are some excellent videos that explain the benefits and anticipated energy cost savings homeowners can get from reflective insulation. To see them, start at http://www.radiaflect.com/ ) Moreover, reflective insulation can be placed over existing fiberglass insulation on attic floors, working in tandem with existing insulation to improve a home’s energy efficiency. It can also be installed on un-insulated attic rafters for impressive energy-saving results. For more on the tax credit program as it relates to reflective insulation, visit http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index

Windows and doors are typically only as good as their installation. Yet, when shopping for new windows and doors, people tend to think more about framing material, operating style, options and the level of energy efficiency they need. What's not on their minds at this point is the installation—from initial measurements to the completion of the project.

It really makes little sense to purchase the best product possible and then try to save money on the installation by going the “Do It Yourself” route, because poorly installed windows and doors will lead to on-going problems, poor product performance, and an unhappy homeowner. There are so many important factors involved—from measuring correctly to installing windows properly—that it really is a challenge for do-it-yourselfers to get it all right.

For instance, these are some of the many things to consider just at the time of measuring: Are the openings square and level? (This affects how the windows and doors are sized for proper fit and function.) How was house constructed? What type of material will the new window or door be anchored to? Are there any water-damaged areas that will need to be repaired prior to installation? What is best the type of windows or doors to use -- new-construction or replacement?

Once the products have been measured correctly, there are still many other factors that must be addressed to ensure a good installation. These include:

1. Proper load-bearing shims—and where to use them.
2. Effective anchoring techniques.
3. Rigid or flexible flashing, based on whether it is a replacement or new construction product.
4. Suitable insulation for the installation.
5. Properly sized sealant joints for expansion and contraction.
6. Sealant that’s compatible with the window and building material it may come in contact with.
7. The possibility that there is exposed wood or other material that may need capped during or after the installation.

Many of the points mentioned are not only important for a good, long-lasting installation, but they also are important in terms of reducing air infiltration and water penetration --- as well as helping with sound reduction. Having a quality, professional installation with a premium product will lead to years of trouble-free operation of those new windows and doors.