Double Pane Low E Windows
The windows are usually single pane but can be installed double pane at a higher cost per window.
Double pane low e windows. Double glazed low solar gain low e glass. When first invented in the 80s low e windows only came in one variety for one purpose. To keep in the infrared light. How does it heat the home.
The biggest drawback of low e windows is primarily cosmetic. Double pane windows can be clear tinted or have a low e coating. As with moderate solar gain low e glass these windows are often referred to as spectrally selective low e glass due to their ability to reduce solar heat gain while retaining high visible transmittance. This figure illustrates the characteristics of a typical double glazed window with a low solar gain low e glass with argon gas fill.
It requires a sheet of glass as a base material for its application. You can have glass with or without a low e coating. However low e coating is not a standalone material. Soft coat windows have much better u value than hard coat surfaces and allow less uv transmittance by almost 75 over clear glass.
In other words this sheet can effectively turn a double pane into a triple pane and this insulation can be further supplemented with the addition of inert argon gas for even more r value. While low e glass is generally cheaper than double glazing it will also reduce you winter heat gain leading to a need for either a bigger windows b more mechanical heating. The bigger windows solution can then create additional heat loss issues leading to a downward spiral in performance coupled with an increase in costs. The term double pane refers to a window that has two pieces of glass while low e is a coating technique.
No matter what type of low e windows you get they will perform better. Low e windows are covered in a film like coating that traps warmth prevents drafts and reflects sunlight in the summer to aid in cooling the home.