How to save on heating?

Sunlight represents the cheapest source of energy. Solar radiation can be strong enough to heat a house even in the winter. One only needs to let it in through the windows. That is why a well selected glazing is a key factor in reducing the costs of heating the house.

The issue of glazing is currently gaining importance mainly due to high energy prices for heating, but also in connection with recurring hot summers and subsequent overheating of interiors. “The choice of insulating glass and its placement affects whether the residents of the house are not to be too hot in the summer, how much heating they are to use in the winter and how much light is to penetrate through into the interior. Well-chosen glazing works with solar energy, either letting it through or blocking it as needed. This significantly increases energy savings and comfort in the house,” explains Ing. Petr Stejskal, business manager at HELUZ IZOS, the largest supplier of window glazing in our country. The choice of suitable glazing is simple and based on the logic of the matter – choosing glazing according to the cardinal points and the purpose of the particular room and using different properties of glass in terms of reception or, conversely, blocking of thermal energy, noise insulation and safety.

 Solar energy is for free

Glazing represents a great potential especially in the winter months, when it enables us to obtain thermal energy from solar radiation. The thing is that the sun is not the one to send us cheques… Passive solar gains, i.e. energy obtained via the penetration of sunlight through windows, will help reduce the need for interior heating by up to tens of percent. „Glazing becomes a fundamental step in the design of the entire house as it helps to significantly reduce not only operating costs, but also the cost of acquiring technological equipment for the house,” explains P. Stejskal.

That is why the southern, eastern, or western sides of the houses should be fitted with glazing with high heat penetration from sunlight. This is characterized by the so-called solar factor g – the higher its value, the more heat the glass lets through and the more it heats up the interior. And the less we have to heat the house.

 Insulation of the building in the north

There is no need to deal with the solar factor in the north, where the sun does not shine. What plays the key role there is the highest possible thermal insulation capacity that is characterized by the heat penetration coefficient Ug. The lower its value, the better the window insulates. „The best quality products are made of three panes of glass with a special plating that prevents heat leakage. The value of the heat penetration coefficient Ug for these products reaches up to 0.5 W/m²K, which is a level that is, with a great reserve, even satisfactory for passive houses. The resulting triple glazing can be inserted into a plastic, wooden or aluminium frame according to the client’s preference,“ explains Ing. Stejskal.

 Comfort and safety thanks to window glazing

Properly selected glazing can help us solve various construction situations efficiently. Glass with high light reflection can, for instance, solve the overheating of the house if we cannot or do not want to shade the windows with blinds. Thanks to this, we can significantly increase the comfort of living and save on the operation of air-conditioning.

Owners of houses located on busy roads will appreciate the glazing with anti-noise film, which reduces outside noise to a level of around 52 dB. Safety glass, for a change, protects the occupants of the house from injury in the event of falling into the glass pane, which shatters into granular chunks due to its tempered glass protector. If the glass is supplemented with a safety film, it significantly eliminates the risk of uninvited guests entering the house and protects the property from vandalism.