Benefits of ENERGY STAR Qualified Windows, Doors, and Skylights

• Save money - and more.
  Installing ENERGY STAR qualified windows, doors, and skylights lowers energy bills and saves you money. With more efficient windows, you also use less energy, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Feel your carbon footprint shrinking?
   
• Get comfortable.
  Put an end to cold drafts and overheated spaces. ENERGY STAR qualified windows, doors, and skylights keep your home’s temperature consistently comfortable. Even your loveseat right by the window can be cozy with ENERGY STAR.
   
• Protect your valuables.
  Many ENERGY STAR qualified windows, doors, and skylights have a special coating on the glass that is like sunscreen for your house.
   

Save Money - and More. Choose ENERGY STAR Qualified Products.

How much is the credit?

The tax credit amount is now 30 percent of the cost of the material. There is a cap on the credit amount of $1,500 for fiscal years 2009 and 2010 combined; thus the credit applies to up to $5,000 in total costs.

What is a Tax Credit?

A tax credit is generally more valuable than an equivalent tax deduction because a tax credit reduces tax dollar-for-dollar, while a deduction only removes a percentage of the tax that is owed. You don’t receive an income tax credit when you buy the product, like an instant rebate. You claim the credit on your federal income tax form at the end of the year. The credit then increases the tax refund you receive or decreases the amount you have to pay.

What do I need to do to get the tax credit?

You will need to file IRS Form 5695 with your taxes. In addition, you will need to keep at least receipts proving that you purchased the improvements and a copy of the manufacturer’s certification.

When is it available?

The home improvements tax credit applies for improvements "placed in service" from January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2010. The IRS defines "placed in service" as when the products or materials are ready and available for use - this would generally refer to the installation, not the purchase.

Installing ENERGY STAR qualified windows, doors, and skylights shrinks energy bills - and carbon footprints - by about 7-24 percent compared to non-qualified products.

Your estimated savings will vary depending on current heating and cooling costs in your region.

For a typical home, choose ENERGY STAR and save:

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Get Savings in Your City (145 KB)

Savings estimates are based on RESFEN 5.0 Exit ENERGY STAR calculations performed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). View methodology.

Get Comfortable

Comfort. It’s the essential quality of home. ENERGY STAR qualified windows, doors, and skylights do more than just lower energy bills - they deliver comfort that other products just can’t match.

PROTECTION FROM WINTER CHILLS

On cold winter nights, do you avoid seats near the window? The cold, inside surface of an inefficient window pulls heat away from your body, so you can feel chilly in a sweater with the thermostat at 70 degrees. With ENERGY STAR qualified windows, the interior glass stays warmer, so you can enjoy your window seat even when the temperature outside dips well below freezing.

SHIELDING FROM SUMMER HEAT

Do some of your rooms feel like a sauna in the summer? A standard double-pane window allows approximately 75 percent of the sun’s heat into your home.1 With ENERGY STAR qualified windows you can stay cool all summer long. Most ENERGY STAR qualified windows reduce the “heat gain” into your home more than typical windows do, without reducing the visible light. You get the light you need without the uncomfortable heat.

1 Source: Residential Windows. Carmody, Selkowitz, Arasteh, and Heschong. 2007.

Protect Your Valuables

Drapes, wood floors, a favorite photograph: all these things can fade or discolor after repeated exposure to direct sunlight. Whether their value is monetary or sentimental, you want to protect your belongings from fading and discoloring.

ENERGY STAR qualified windows have coatings that keep out the summer heat and act like sunscreen for your house, protecting your valuables from harmful, fading ultraviolet light without noticeably reducing visible light. These special coatings reduce fading by up to 75 percent.1

1 Source: Residential Windows. Carmody, Selkowitz, Arasteh, and Heschong. 2007.

What is a Carbon Footprint?

Your personal carbon footprint measures the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions caused by your activities. It includes CO2 emissions from such things as driving your car or flying in a plane, the manufacture and distribution of the products you buy, and turning on the lights in your home. A carbon footprint is usually measured in pounds or tons of CO2 per year.

Home energy use accounts for about one-quarter of your carbon footprint, but this can vary depending on the kinds of energy sources available to power your home. ENERGY STAR calculates carbon savings for ENERGY STAR qualified windows, doors, and skylights based on the mix of fuels in a region and the estimated energy use for a typical home.

Sources: EPA Power Profiler (fuel mix). Carbon Footprint, Ltd.