If you are looking for ways to upgrade your home to a 7-star energy rating, one of our suggestions would be to install double-glazed windows and doors. Double glazed windows have a range of benefits that you will definitely notice in the short and long term. However, there are a few drawbacks too.
 
What is double glazing?
Double glazing is a technique where 2 pieces of glass panes are combined into a single unit with a gap in the middle. This gap can either be filled with gases or left as a vacuum to reduce heat transfer. Double glazed windows and doors provide better insulation for your home and also reduce noise, however, there are many more benefits.
Diagram of double glazed window
 
Advantages of Double Glazed Windows and Doors
  1. As mentioned double glazing provides better insulation than single glazing. In fact, double glazing was developed in order to better insulate houses. Double glazing reduces the amount of heat transfer from inside your house to the outside, this means that in winter your house will be warmer and in summer it will be cooler. All in all, double glazing can improve your home's insulation by 40%, which will definitely go a long way when building a 7-star energy-rating home.
  2. Noise reduction is another feature of double glazing. Due to the double panes, the noise from the outside will be greatly reduced and will keep your conversation inside the house. This is especially great if you live in a noisy area or if you just want some peace and quiet!
  3. Since double glazing keeps your house warmer in winter and cooler in summer, there will be less need to turn on the heater or a cooler. Thus, leading to much lower energy consumption and electricity bill.
  4. With sustainability and eco-friendly having a huge focus across all industries, it has now become more important than ever to reduce our impact on the environment. In fact, this is one of the goals of the 7-star energy rating minimum standard. Because double glazing reduces energy consumption it will, in turn, be better for the environment and help you gain that 7-star rating.
And the Cons?
  1. the biggest drawback of double-glazed windows and doors is the cost. In fact, depending on the scale of the build, it can easily cost you tens of thousands of dollars initially. This is because you are paying for two panes of glass, however, if you consider the savings you could get in the future, they can be a worthwhile investment!
  2. Adding onto the initial cost, if your double-glazed windows fail then they cannot be repaired. You will have to get the whole window entirely replaced and reinstalled… which can be costly.
However, as the minimum standards changes to a 7-star energy rating, more and more builds will opt into installing double-glazed windows, and hence will hopefully become cheaper. In the same way, we can also expect to see the introduction of triple-glazed windows and more innovation in the field of insulation and energy-efficient homes.
 
After looking at all the facts, we can see that there are much more advantages than disadvantages of double-glazed windows and doors. They will for one definitely help you get that 7-star energy rating home compliance from NatHERS and save you money in the long term. Our expert team at Certified Energy will gladly help you with any questions regarding glazing and energy rating certificates so don’t be afraid to reach out.
Jamie Bonnefin

Written by Jamie Bonnefin

Jamie is the Director of Australia's leading ESD consultancy, Certified Energy. Jamie is a Green Star sustainability leader, NABERS assessor and accredited ABSA and BDAV Assessor. With over 15 years of experience in Sustainable Design in the built environment industry, Jamie is passionate about his work.