Home Design Guides: Energy efficiency, Windows

An energy efficient window is one that helps to minimise the use of artificial heating and cooling in a building. Technological progress in the last 25 years has made...

• Reduces heat transfer very effectively
• Excellent acoustic insulation
• Costs much more than single glazing

• Improves solar and thermal control
• Reduces UV transmission
• Relatively expensive
• Can reduce solar heat gain in winter

The Window Energy Rating Scheme (or WERS, as it's known) is a system by which windows sold in Australia are independently assessed and rated according to their performance and efficiency.

Windows are often the biggest culprit when it comes to energy waste in homes. Find out why, and how to choose windows for better energy efficiency.

A big part of planning thermal mass in your home is deciding where windows need to go in order to allow sunlight in. Read on to find out more about the relationships between windows and thermal mass.

Australia’s vastness lends itself to a broad range of climatic conditions ranging from the tropical weather of Cairns to the frosty conditions experienced in Hobart. How much energy...

Tremendous amounts of heat are lost through windows. Find out how the right windows, thermal curtains and pelmets can make your heating more efficient.