Double-Pane Glass vs Triple-Pane Glass

There are 2 schools of thought where it comes to the number of panes of the glass in the insulated glass unit on the new construction or replacement window. One school says that double-pane insulated glass unit is all you need in most or all climate regions in the US.
Another school of thought says that it is always better to invest in the most energy efficient window that your money can buy. While in the end, it is really a matter of one’s preference and budget, it is worth looking at the energy ratings. These ratings reflect true energy performance of the window product. This energy performance may not pay itself back in the lowered energy bills, but it benefit of increased comfort of living begins immediately. Let’s look at the energy performance of double and triple pane units. For the simplicity’s sake with skipped discussing the performance of quad-pane units.

OKNA most energy efficient double-hung vinyl window with double-pane glass has a U-factor of 0.25. Their vinyl double-hung windows with triple-pane insulated glass filled with Argon gas has U-factor of 0.19. That’s 24% improvement in energy performance alone just by switching to triple-pane window unit. If that same triple-pane glass on the same window model is filled with Krypton gas – the U-Factor drops down to 0.15 – that’s a whooping improvement of 40% for its double-pane window counterpart with Argon gas.

If one disregards the facts stated by the numbers, then literally, it is better to go with the double-pane window. If, on the other hand, you believe in the scientific approach and are willing to invest in the fruits of the best window technology in the market today in order to make your home an energy miser, then you should definitely consider triple-pane glass windows you can afford.