Addressing the Hole in the Wall: DOE’s Storm Window and Insulating Panel Campaign

Think you know storm windows? Think again. Modern storm windows are available in multiple colors in fixed and operable styles that coordinate with modern window trims, have low-emissivity (low-e) coatings, an air-tight fit, and stay in place year-round for ongoing, draft-free heating and cooling savings. The potential market is big. Over half of the ~120 million existing homes in the U.S. have low-performing clear-glass windows and a small fraction (i.e., less than 2%) of these windows get replaced each year. Full window replacement can be a costly undertaking. Modern low-e storm windows offer an affordable solution to improve window performance and now come with certified energy performance ratings from the Attachment Energy Rating Council (AERC) and ENERGY STAR labels.

To increase awareness and uptake of energy-efficient storm windows, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is launching the Storm Window and Insulating Panel (SWIP) Campaign to encourage homeowners, weatherization contractors, and utility efficiency programs to upgrade old, inefficient windows with ENERGY STAR-certified or AERC-rated storm windows and insulating panels. This session will introduce the Campaign and will feature successful case studies from market-rate and weatherization assistance programs. We’ll also provide the latest information on available utility program incentives and training opportunities.