Double glazing provides a cheap and
environmentally friendly alternative to air
conditioning.
Image: iStockphoto
Effective glazing and window frames could help alleviate Queensland's growing reliance on energy-chewing air conditioners, said a Queensland University of Technology researcher.
Professor John Bell, from the QUT Institute of Sustainable Resources, has researched how different window options can increase the energy efficiency of Queensland homes and decrease carbon emissions, while saving the homeowner money on heating and cooling costs.
"Air conditioners contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, and it is expected that by 2014, almost 60 per cent of Queensland homes will have these appliances," Professor Bell said.
"But what people may not know is there are commercially available advanced glazing alternatives that can help to greatly reduce the need for air-conditioning."
Professor Bell said houses built in Queensland since 2008 were required to have a minimum five star thermal efficiency rating, but a vast number of the state's 1.5 million homes were built before this regulation, and only achieve an average rating of 3.5 stars.
"Good windows can help to insulate the house, which helps to keep it warmer in winter and cooler in summer, and decrease the amount of energy required to heat and cool it," he said.
"Installing better windows typically increased a home's star rating by between 1.5 and 2.5 stars."
Professor Bell's team researched four typical styles of houses in Queensland, including the single-storey brick home, the raised single-storey timber Queenslander, the double-storey brick house and the three-storey townhouse.
These were studied in five different climates across the state with 16 different glazing options, ranging from standard aluminium-framed single glazing with clear glass to double-glazed windows in wood frames with specially treated glass.
"The greatest savings of energy and money were between 25 and 45 per cent in all houses, which were achieved with a double glazed window made up of a layer of tinted glass, a gap of air and a layer of glass which has a special clear insulating coating, called low-e glass," he said.
"This can be quite an expensive option, but significant energy and greenhouse reductions ranging from 11 to 32 per cent can also be achieved with 4mm low-e single glazed options in either aluminium or timber framed windows, which are much cheaper and could be of significant value for the retrofit market for existing houses.
"Glazing is something simple that Queenslanders can change in their homes to make them more energy efficient and environmentally friendly."
Examples of savings achieved by installing best-option single or double glazing:
- A Queenslander in Maryborough could save $130 in heating costs a year by switching to double glazed windows or $95 with 4mm single glazed windows.
- A one-storey brick home in Brisbane could save $140 a year with double glazing or $86 with 4mm single glazing.
- A two-storey brick home on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts could save $109 a year with double glazing or $75 with single glazing.
- A Townsville townhouse could save $95 a year with double glazing or $70 with single glazing.
"To achieve these savings, there is, of course, the cost for installing the glass, but, depending on the house, this cost may be no more than that of installing air-conditioning," Professor Bell said.
The research, titled The Role of Advanced Glazing in Queensland Homes: Reducing Electricity Load and Greenhouse Gas Emissions was commissioned by the Australian Glass and Glazing Association.
Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.
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