Tools to help you pick your energy-efficient windows

Replacing old windows with new, high performance, energy-efficient windows can be pricey. And, once you do decide that the long-term energy-savings are worth the initial investment, swapping those single-paned energy-suckers with dual-pane (or even triple-pane!) replacements can be a complicated process. The options are endless. Do you want the window glass (called glazing) clear or with a bronze tint? Do you want aluminum framing or wood ... or maybe even a hybrid composite? And what type of gas would you like between the panes? Argon or krypton? And how about a low-E coating? It's almost as complicated as ordering a double, half-calf, non-fat, vanilla latte at the corner Starbucks. But, it's worth it!

So how do you navigate this world of strange new vocabulary? First things first: research! The type of window that's right for your brother and his family in San Diego won't be the window that's right for your family in Duluth. Some windows work better at keeping a house cool, others at keeping a house warm. Do you spend most of the year in flip flops or galoshes? There, you've already narrowed down your choices considerably.

But there are still a lot of things to consider, and this is a big investment. Luckily, the people at the Efficient Windows Collaborative have developed a super-useful tool to help you in your decision making process. Use their Window Selection Tool to browse through different types of windows that are appropriate for your climate, and even look at how much your annual energy costs could go down (or up) depending on which windows you decide to go with.

If that isn't enough: After you spend a little time with the Efficient Windows Collaborative, and you want even more individualized information, wander over to http://windows.lbl.gov/software/, where you can actually download software that will allow you to analyze, with a bit more specificity, how different windows with different glazings will affect your energy bill.