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GOING GREEN
Why Live Green?
The Center's Green Features
Tours
What's Up With the Solar Panels?
LEED Gold Certification
Resources
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Windows
How It Works
The triple-paned windows in the High Point Center have three layers — two layers of insulated glass with a suspended film layer in between. The window frames also contain a sustainable insulating foam, all of which lead to reduced heat loss in the winter and reduced heat gain in the summer.
Even the skylights are double paned and had to be specially manufactured because of their large size.
Energy use by American homes accounts for 20% of all U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, so Neighborhood House set out to design a building that not only uses less energy to heat and cool the building, but that also efficiently retains that heat or cool air once it's inside.
Did You Know?
- The High Point Center is designed so that if there are windows and/or doors open, the heating or air conditioning won't turn on until they are closed.
- In a typical room, 15-20% of the heat will be lost through single-paned windows.
- Almost all of the windows at the High Point Center are triple-paned, and most of the doors and skylights are double-paned.
The best thing you can do for your home it to "weatherize" it, such as sealing leaks around windows and/or installing a door sweep. In the winter you can even put plastic over windows to act as another pane of insulation.
Resources
- Seattle Office of Housing has a website on weatherization services.
- U.S. Department of Energy has a website with tips on saving energy and money at home.
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