TAP panels also offer additional privacy by eliminating a direct line of sight into interior spaces (which can be a great benefit to medical facilities and other areas where security is key), and they are lightweight, making them easy to install and requiring less time on site. Now it’s easy to get the thermal performance and light control of a Guardian 275 ® translucent panel while still utilizing a conventional glass framing system. While most building types will save energy savings with at least one of the retrofits, at current energy prices the payback for commercial buildings are often over 20 years.Looking for an economical way to add thermal performance to an existing curtainwall, window or storefront framing? Major’s Translucent Adapter Panels (TAP), configured with an integrated 1” “key” that allows for easy integration into existing curtainwall framing, and 1” panel systems are perfect for retrofit applications in older buildings. For this reason it is not possible to prescribe a simple energy saving solution that works for all commercial buildings. The impact of retrofits in commercial buildings is more variable than in residential houses because of the impact of building use and construction characteristics. The cost of a whole house retrofit ranges from $1,200 for self-installed clear window panels to $1,500 for professionally installed moderate SHGC window film to $2,500 for professionally installed low-e window panels.Ĭontrary to some literature claims, we did not find any examples where the simple payback was three years or less. (A typical residential window is between 10 and 15 square feet) The cost of retrofits is about a fourth of the cost of replacement windows, so they are a good short term option for homeowners wishing to save energy and improve comfort while deferring the cost and inconvenience of window replacement. Self-installation reduces the cost, but is not available with all products. In Duluth, energy savings for houses are about 27% higher than in Minneapolis-St Paul. Climate also has a big impact on the overall savings with colder Minnesota climates showing higher savings. Fuel source also affects payback, with higher priced fuels such as electric resistance heat, propane and fuel oil, having much faster paybacks than natural gas. The best paybacks are in residential homes because of do-it-yourself installation. These results indicate that it does not always make sense to put films on every window. The moderate solar heat gain (SHGC) film saved 5% of the heating and cooling energy. On the other hand, while the low SHGC film saved more on summer cooling, it actually increased the winter heating needs compared to windows with no retrofit. In addition, window film savings depend on the direction the windows face. ![]() The films produced smaller and more variable savings. In residential houses, low-e panels reduced heating and cooling energy use by an average of 14%, while clear panels averaged 11% savings. Window Retrofitsīoth types of window panels saved energy in all building types, due to the extra air space added to the window assembly. ![]() The climates of both southern and northern Minnesota were modeled separately.
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