For Manufacturers

ENERGY STAR Windows

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have developed an ENERGY STARŪ designation for products meeting certain energy performance criteria. For windows, doors, and skylights, these criteria have been set to assure that qualifying products reduce heating and cooling demand compared to conventional products, increase comfort, and reduce condensation and harmful UV radiation.

Market advantages of ENERGY STAR Windows
The ENERGY STAR label boosts the market appeal of products by telling customers that these products provide energy savings according to criteria endorsed by the Federal government. But this is not all: ENERGY STAR Windows are actively supported in the market by a range of incentive and endorsement programs:

  • The Federal tax credit for residential energy-efficient improvements provides tax savings to homeowners who replace their windows, doors, or skylights with ENERGY STAR products.
  • Several utility rebate or low-interest loan programs for window replacement promote ENERGY STAR windows.
  • Green home programs that endorse buildings which meet sustainability and energy-efficiency criteria often include ENERGY STAR qualification of windows in their criteria.

Qualification criteria
The ENERGY STAR criteria for windows, doors and skylights are based on their NFRC-rated U-factor and SHGC. Since the energy performance of these products varies by climate, the U-factor and SHGC criteria for windows, doors, and skylights differ between four U.S. climate zones:

ENERGY STAR

 

The ENERGY STAR label for windows, doors, and skylights highlights the climate zones for which the window qualifies (as in the example to the right).

Windows, doors, and skylights must be certified by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) in order to be eligible for the ENERGY STAR label.
Learn about NFRC certification. »

However, NFRC-certification alone does not automatically qualify a product for the ENERGY STAR label. The NFRC-rated U-factor and SHGC determine for which ENERGY STAR climate zone a product meets the qualification criteria.
View these specific criteria. »