I'm starting to look for replacement windows. We like it cold (in N. VA. I had windows open in th winter) and so the U-Factor and the R-Value carry less weight with me. What should the SHGC value be for a mid-range window be? I looked at Simonton 5050 and 5500. One has a SHGC of .29 and the other .19. How much of a difference is that? (Please don't say .1 ) Are there any other factors I should take into account given that cooling is my primary concern?
BTW: I got hooked on this forum last night and stayed up until 2:00 trying to educate myself. Thanks for the good info that I found. Appreciate people taking their time to share.
The u-factor of the window makes a difference in both the winter and summer, so I wouldn't discount its importance. The u-factor also matters whether or not the window gets sun, whereas the SHGC matters most for windows that get some direct sun.
That said, u-factor matters more in the winter in areas that get cold because because the temperature difference inside/out is usually larger in the winter than summer for those people, so the heat loss is also greater through the window.
The SHGC differences you saw in the 5500 and 9800 are due to triple pane glass versus double-pane. You could outfit the 5500 with the triple pane glass package and get the same SHGC as the 9800 you quoted. The 9800 is a better looking window, but that is the only huge difference in the end, since you can add nearly all of the 9800's major default features to the 5500, except the nicer looks.
) Are there any other factors I should take into account given that cooling is my primary concern?
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