High-performance windows are an essential component in sustainable residential buildings. Maximizing their contribution, however, requires integrating them into the whole-building concept.

While this may appear obvious, it is often challenging to consider windows holistically despite their invaluable contribution to sustainability through enhanced synergy. Design teams that work independently rather than collaboratively, for instance, may inadvertently create problems instead of solving them. A ventilation system that uses windows improperly, for instance, can adversely influence indoor air quality by allowing outside contaminants inside. 

Overcoming this challenge requires keeping in mind that every residential building depends on a series of complex, interrelated systems to operate efficiently. Achieving sustainability, of course, requires integrating these systems and their subsystems.

By including windows in this process, design teams can minimize operating costs while creating a healthy indoor environment that keeps occupants satisfied. 

Contact Tom Herron at 240-821-9505 to learn more about the important role windows play in making homes and buildings more comfortable and energy efficient.