Serious Materials windows to be used in weatherization assistance program demo

The Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, Chicago,is using Sunnyvale, Calif.-basedSerious Materials'super-insulating, high R-value SeriousWindows for the Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program, according to an Oct. 30 release. Use of these windows will enhance energy efficiency and increase savings for income-eligible families on their heating and cooling costs. CEDA now plans to install super-insulating windows in most or all multifamily housing units that qualify for weatherization. By including super-insulating windows in CEDA’s weatherization program, hundreds of new local manufacturing and installation jobs can be created. If all weatherization agencies nationwide were to include super-insulating windows in weatherization programs, thousands of jobs would be created.

“I commend the dedication and shared aspirations of CEDA, Serious Materials, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the U.S. Department of Energy, and all agencies involved in this project to create jobs, save energy and money, better the lives of our citizens, and improve the energy security of our nation,” said Pat Quinn, Illinois governor,in the release. “We look forward to sharing our weatherization success and experience using super-insulating windows throughout the Midwest and across America.”

The Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program's mission is to reduce energy costs for low-income families by improving the energy efficiency of their homes while ensuring their health and safety. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allocated $242.5 million in weatherization funding to the State of Illinois over the next two years. With the additional funding, CEDA officials say the organization expects to triple the number of homes it can weatherize annually over the next two years, increasing its production from 3,000 to 9,000 households, according to the release.

A key effort enabling the first installation of SeriousWindows into CEDA Weatherization projects was to update the rigorous energy assessment and economic analysis software, WeatherWorks, used by the State of Illinois. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity updated the software, which previously could not assess high-insulating windows. The updated model is now available to all weatherization agencies in Illinois.

Earlier this year, the National Energy Audit Tool also was also updated to account for super-insulating windows. Serious Materials launched SeriousWindows WAP Series in July, the first high-performing replacement window designed specifically for WAP needs as a cost-effective, high energy savings solution.

“The single greatest immediate impact on the environment that we can have as a nation, and the world can have, is weatherization," said Vice President Joe Biden, while speaking at Serious Materials Chicago window factory in April 2009, according to the release. "That’s the immediate biggest bang for the buck. It has the advantage of creating jobs, jobs right here in America. This is a story about how we inspire a better tomorrow. You’re making some of the most energy-efficient windows in the world, I would argue, the most energy-efficient windows in the world.”

According to NEAT, SeriousWindows WAP Series can create up to 12 times more energy savings per household than other common weatherization measures. By replacing existing windows with super-insulating, high R-value SeriousWindows, families can dramatically reduce their heating and cooling bills. R-value measures the thermal insulation of, for instance, windows and walls.