Window Retrofits for Efficiency, Affordability, and Disaster Resistance

High-performance windows and window attachments are poised to play a critical role in coming years. This session explores cost-effective, practical window solutions to balance performance with affordability, and improve disaster resistance for homes across diverse climates. Transformative benefits are available for households through high-performance primary windows or retrofits like low-emissivity storm windows, solar screens, and cellular shades.

Improving windows in the U.S. building stock is key to optimizing building envelopes for insulation, air sealing, and HVAC performance. Efficient windows reduce heating and cooling loads, enabling HVAC downsizing and associated cost savings. Field studies and simulation analyses illustrate how window upgrades can significantly reduce energy use and heating needs, enhancing affordability, shelter-in-place capacity, and grid reliability.

Additionally, window attachments provide critical protection when disaster strikes. They mitigate solar heat gain during extreme heat events, insulate against polar vortexes, protect against airborne debris during hurricanes, and prevent shattering and fire entry during wildfires.

This session unites research, case studies, and actionable strategies to demonstrate the transformative potential of window retrofits across diverse U.S. climates.