ASHRAE Journal - March 2022 - 50
TECHNICAL FEATURE
Using Triple-Pane
Windows to Meet IECC
Envelope Requirements
BY KATHERINE CORT; EDWARD LOUIE, ASSOCIATE MEMBER ASHRAE; ROBERT HART
A standard low-emissivity (low-e) double-pane window will meet 2021 International
Energy Conservation Code (IECC) prescriptive envelope requirements. However,
higher performance triple-pane windows provide builders with an affordable envelope
component trade-off opportunity that reduces the risk of noncompliance,
while ensuring occupant comfort and increasing the value of the home. This article
describes energy modeling analyses to assess the ability and amount to which highperformance
windows can compensate for lower wall insulation levels and higher air
leakage rates in new homes.
Heat transfer and air leakage through the building
envelope comprise the largest HVAC loads in most climates.
Windows, which are known as the weakest link in
thermal envelopes, are attributable for approximately
10% of building energy use.1 The International Energy
Conservation Code (IECC) addresses these thermal losses
with requirements for the design of energy-efficient
new building envelopes. Although the IECC's prescriptive
and performance paths allow builders to trade off
levels of insulation and glazing efficiency (within limits),
most builders do not take advantage of this option.
As wall insulation and air-sealing requirements
become increasingly more stringent and challenging for
builders to meet with conventional building practices,
the increased availability of affordable high-performance
window options (i.e., U-factor of 0.20 or less)
offers an appealing trade-off option to provide builders
with some flexibility in envelope construction and adds
value to an area of the envelope that occupants interact
with, all while helping ensure that energy codes are met
without complication.
Status of High-Performance Residential Windows in the U.S.
Low-emissivity (low-e) windows significantly increase
the energy-savings potential over traditional singleclear
and double-clear windows and have been a strong
market success. Since their introduction in the late
1970s, low-e sales have steadily grown to nearly 90%
Katherine Cort is a senior economist and Edward Louie is a senior associate energy efficiency engineer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Wash. Robert
Hart is a principal scientific engineering associate with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif.
50
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ASHRAE Journal - March 2022
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - March 2022
ASHRAE Journal - March 2022 - Intro
ASHRAE Journal - March 2022 - Cover1
ASHRAE Journal - March 2022 - Cover2
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ASHRAE Journal - March 2022 - Cover3
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