ENERGY STAR Certified Storm Windows

It means the specific model has been tested and listed as meeting the ENERGY STAR program’s performance requirements for its product type and climate zone. Only listed models may carry the ENERGY STAR mark.

The certified models are our Low-E aluminum interior, exterior, architectural exterior and direct-mount storm windows, and our vinyl compression interior window. Certification is listed model by model, so other storm windows we sell do not carry the label.

ENERGY STAR certifies products for particular climate zones. Northern-zone models are evaluated for colder climates and Southern-zone models for warmer ones. Each model is listed for the zone or zones it is certified for, so choose a window rated for where you live.

The EPA estimates that certified low-e storm windows save homeowners about $350 a year, roughly 10 percent of heating and cooling bills, over single-pane clear glass windows without existing storm windows. The EPA calls these estimates conservative, and your savings depend on your climate, your home and your utility rates.

The EPA estimates the incremental cost of ENERGY STAR certified storm windows pays back in about three years.

The Attachments Energy Rating Council (AERC) is an independent, nonprofit organization that rates the energy performance of window attachments, a group that includes storm windows. Its ratings are published in a public directory so products can be compared on the same terms.

ENERGY STAR sets a bar that a model either meets or does not, for a climate zone. AERC does not pass or fail a product; it rates how the product performs, with numbers you can compare. A window can carry one label, both or neither.

The federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, so there is no current federal credit for windows. Some utilities, states and local programs still offer efficiency rebates, and many ask for ENERGY STAR certified or AERC-rated products. Programs and amounts vary, so check with yours before you buy. We cannot promise any specific rebate, but we can supply certification details for a model on request.