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With new windows there are terms you might not be familiar with. Here are a few of them that you might come across.

Potential Heating Cost Savings:
Baseline: Single Pane Aluminum frame window.
Double Pane, clear / clear, air - 27%
Double Pane, LoE / clear, Argon - 32%

Baseline: Double Pane, clear / clear, air
Double Pane, LoE / clear, Argon - 9%

Heat Gain
The transfer of heat from outside to inside by means of conduction, convection, and radiation through all surfaces of a house.

strong>Heat Loss
The transfer of heat from inside to outside by means of conduction, convection, and radiation through all surfaces of a house.

Conduction
Heat transfer through a solid material by contact of one molecule to the next. Heat flows from a higher-temperature area to a lower-temperature one.
br/> Convection
A heat transfer process involving motion in a fluid (such as air) caused by the difference in density of the fluid and the action of gravity. Convection affects heat transfer from the glass surface to room air, and between two panes of glass. Argon is denser than air, thus more viscous, and reduces the convection between the panes of glass.

Radiation
The transfer of heat in the form of electromagnetic waves from one separate surface to another. Energy from the sun reaches the earth by radiation, and a person's body can lose heat to a cold window or skylight surface in a similar way. Clear glass does nothing to stop radiation. Lo-E glass acts like a mirror and reflects radiation energy back.

Air infiltration
The amount of air leaking in and out of a building through cracks in walls, windows and doors.

U-factor (U-value)
A measure of the rate of non-solar heat loss or gain through a material or assembly. It is expressed in units of Btu/hr-sq ft°F. Values are normally given for winter conditions of 0°F (18°C) outdoor temperature, 70°F (21°C) indoor temperature, 15 mph wind, and no solar load. The lower the U-factor, the greater a window's resistance to heat flow and the better its insulating value.

Spectrally Selective Coating
A coated or tinted glazing with optical properties that are transparent to some wavelengths of energy and reflective to others. Typical spectrally selective coatings are transparent to visible light and reflect short-wave and long-wave infrared radiation.

U-factor Comparisons:
Single pane-clear 1.04
Dbl pane, clear, air 0.48
Dbl pane, clear, Argon 0.46
SB70 / clear, air 0.33
SB70 / clear, Argon 0.29