What is meant by energy star rating?
Being a homeowner is a difficult task. You have to manage expenses and spend money judiciously. Take an example of any household, and you will find that electricity bills are a major expense in every household. So, why don’t you start utilising energy-saving products to reduce your household bills? If you too are thinking of doing so, the best way is to buy products according to their energy star rating. It is a prime way of knowing how energy efficient is a particular product.
What is the energy star rating?
Energy star devices and products can be defined as products that consume less energy, thereby saving a lot of energy and your expenses. Since they are energy efficient, they are eco-friendly and affordable. The more stars on the energy rating label, the more energy-saving the appliance will be. Energy-efficient appliances consume less energy but achieve the same level of performance as is provided by other similar models. The more energy-efficient your household products are, the less your household bills will be.
The energy rating label on which the stars are given depicts the energy-saving performance of a particular device and product. A thorough reading of the label will help consumers understand how much will a particular appliance cost to run. It also shows how much is the product energy efficient in comparison to other appliances.
What do the stars mean?
The stars on labels given on computers, televisions, refrigerators, dishwashers, air conditioners, dryers, etc. can be given 10 stars maximum. This means, the least energy-efficient models have one star, and the number of stars increases, as the energy efficiency of a product increases. A model having 6 energy star rating will be shown in the label is half-star increments. Extra energy-efficient models having star ratings of 7 to 10 are shown in the form of a band having additional stars right on top of the normal six stars label.
How are these appliances rated?
Needless to say, the energy efficiency rating will be different for different products and appliances, because every product has its features and functioning. For example, an energy-saving window in Canada needs to have an ER greater than 36 to get the energy star symbol. Also, then the u value of the window had to be 1.14 W/m2·K. The u factor denotes the rate of heat loss. The lower the u value, the more is the window efficient.
What makes a window energy efficient?
Windows are made up of several parts like hardware, frame, glasses, etc, all of which act together to provide consumers with a certain level of performance. The components that provide maximum protection from heat loss and heat gain, thereby reducing the amount of energy consumption are considered to be energy efficient. The presence of the following components makes a window energy efficient.
- Low-e glass
Low emissivity glasses have a transparent coating on them that reduces the u value of glasses and lowers the amount of heat passing through the glasses. The lower u value, the better is a window at insulating. Hence, these glasses keep the interior of your house cool during summers, by lowering the amount of heat to pass through the glasses.
Double planed windows: an ideal condition to lead an energy-saving household is to reduce heat transfers in every form. If your windows have multiple planes, their energy efficiency is severely reduced because heat or gas fills the spaces and gaps in between the planes. Double planed windows, if combined with low e glasses and Aragon gas, renders the best thermal performance.
- Window frames
The gazing system becomes even more effective when low u value frames are put together to reduce u value of the entire window. Such frames are generally made up of timber design, uPVC, timber, aluminum, etc.
Gas fills: This too enhances the thermal performance.
Go through the section of products below to know which products will help you in Saving your expenses. If you are in search of energy-efficient windows, buy Oakville windows and doors that render great thermal performance.
Why is rating the appliances based on their energy efficiency important?
Energy-saving products are important since they consume less energy but give the same quality of performance as given by other similar models. The more energy-saving an appliance, the more will it consume less energy, thereby saving your expenses.
As has already been told, energy rating labels help consumers to get an idea about how much energy efficiency is a product and choose accordingly. All electrical appliances are labelled, so that details are available to consumers at the time of sale. This enables customers to know how much does a product cost to function, its energy-saving rate, etc. All these information assist them in buying a particular model.
The label is an initiative taken by the industry and government to encourage customers in buying products and appliances that are energy saving. As consumers demand more and more of such products, manufacturers will feel encouraged to make more of such eco-friendly products to meet the demand of customers.
