The 2025 PAWS Strategic Plan serves as a roadmap for advancing energy-efficient, high-performance window technologies and solutions that drive energy savings, resilience, and sustainability across the building sector. This plan is rooted in PAWS’ guiding principles, emphasizing collaboration, workforce development, and enhancing indoor environments to create a healthier, more resilient future.
PAWS works alongside the construction, manufacturing, and utility industries to expand advanced window choices, enhance homeowner affordability, boost American competitiveness, and provide consumers with more options.
The Attachments Energy Rating Council (AERC) announces AERC-certified cellular shades have been accepted to the Minnesota Technical Reference Manual (TRM) for possible inclusion into Energy Conservation Improvement Programs throughout the state.
The PAWS Affordability Working Group will leverage existing resources and conduct research and analysis to demonstrate the benefits of advanced windows solutions and spur market adoption, particularly aimed at reducing energy vulnerability in otherwise energy burdened communities. The group will identify and evaluate opportunities to support utilizing advanced window solutions and demonstrate their affordability and practicality in reducing energy vulnerability.
The Importance of Window Performance. Windows play a crucial role in regulating indoor temperatures, yet they are often a major source of heat loss or gain. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that windows account for 20-30% of total heat loss in buildings. Poorly performing windows, such as older single-pane models or those with improper insulation, often fail to regulate indoor temperature, leading to discomfort and even health risks.
In 1991, a team of scientists patented what appeared to be a breakthrough for one of the nation’s most serious energy efficiency problems.
DIY and Renter-Friendly Ideas for Improving Window Performance! Window attachments are products that are installed on the interior or exterior of windows to lower utility costs and improve privacy, noise, comfort, and appearance.
Common attachments include curtains and blinds, yet there are several other types of affordable window attachments outlined below that significantly improve energy efficiency and comfort inside the home.
ENERGY STAR, one of the most successful voluntary programs in U.S. history, has become the international standard for energy efficiency. Since its launch in 1992 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), ENERGY STAR and its partners have saved Americans more than $500 billion in energy costs and prevented 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
Beyond its environmental benefits, ENERGY STAR delivers significant economic value. The estimated annual market value of ENERGY STAR product sales exceeds $100 billion, and approximately 35% of U.S. energy efficiency jobs involve manufacturing or installing ENERGY STAR products. For every dollar the EPA has invested in the program, Americans have saved $350 in energy costs. With nearly 90% of American households recognizing the label and over 300 million certified products purchased in 2021 alone, ENERGY STAR is a trusted and essential part of the American economy and climate strategy.
With recent advancements in window technologies, momentum towards electrification, and a need to improve building envelope performance, there is an exciting opportunity to begin building window programs that are cost-effective and popular among utility customers. This memo outlines the incremental cost of high-performance Window Products.
With recent advancements in window technologies, momentum towards electrification, and a need to improve building envelope performance, there is an exciting opportunity to begin building window programs that are cost-effective and popular among utility customers. This memo outlines the recommended lifetime assumptions for window products, which are substantially longer than most traditional energy efficiency measures.
Windows and storm windows that earn the ENERGY STAR label meet performance criteria that are better than basic building code requirements and vary by climate.
We know triple-pane windows conserve energy, reduce noise, and lower home energy bills; now they are getting more affordable.
The potential for emerging window technologies to transform power grid operations is much larger than most realize.
So, you have made the decision to buy new windows - Congratulations!
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is suggesting triple-pane windows conserve energy, reduce noise, and lower home energy bills now that they are getting more affordable.
Manufacturers are spreading the message that from financial and health perspectives, windows matter.
A new material developed in Massachusetts could someday help make super-efficient windows more affordable for home and business owners.
National Technical Reference Manual (TRM) list for primary and storm windows, cellular shades, solar screens, and window films. This list highlights TRM’s for more than 20 states across the United States that include window calculations.
Window retrofits for efficiency, affordability, and disaster resilience. Presented at NHPC 2025 in New Orleans, LA.
Unwanted outside noise can come from traffic, airplanes, construction, or even a neighbor’s lawnmowers. Many people believe that noise levels must be quite high to cause damage; however, even low-level noise can cause stress and sleep disruption, as well as higher rates of anxiety and depression. Noise outside a workplace can decrease focus and concentration or interfere with communication. For people in private homes, noise can cause sleep disruption, high irritability and stress, reduce privacy, and decrease quality of life and comfort. Children are especially vulnerable. Chronic noise exposure has been found to negatively impact cognitive development, including reading comprehension, memory, and productivity.
The PAWS Outreach Working Group identifies, evaluates, and takes action for applicable outreach events and prepares materials to meet the needs of the PAWS Working Groups.
Read on for more about the cost of replacing windows, how to choose energy-efficient ones, available window styles and features, and important things to consider when shopping for windows.
This commercial secondary windows savings calculator generates separate savings for heating, HVAC auxiliaries, and cooling based on a data set developed from parametric Energy Plus runs using prototype models developed for and by the Bonneville Power Administration, in partnership with the Partnership for Advanced Window Solutions.
The Partnership for Advanced Window Solutions (PAWS) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Storm Window and Insulating Panel (SWIP) Campaign have assembled this playbook for utilities interested in implementing residential storm window programs.
There are a number of considerations with moving to triple glazing...
The Importance of Window Performance. Windows play a crucial role in regulating indoor temperatures, yet they are often a major source of heat loss or gain. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that windows account for 20-30% of total heat loss in buildings. Poorly performing windows, such as older single-pane models or those with improper insulation, often fail to regulate indoor temperature, leading to discomfort and even health risks.
DIY and Renter-Friendly Ideas for Improving Window Performance! Window attachments are products that are installed on the interior or exterior of windows to lower utility costs and improve privacy, noise, comfort, and appearance.
Common attachments include curtains and blinds, yet there are several other types of affordable window attachments outlined below that significantly improve energy efficiency and comfort inside the home.
Unwanted outside noise can come from traffic, airplanes, construction, or even a neighbor’s lawnmowers. Many people believe that noise levels must be quite high to cause damage; however, even low-level noise can cause stress and sleep disruption, as well as higher rates of anxiety and depression. Noise outside a workplace can decrease focus and concentration or interfere with communication. For people in private homes, noise can cause sleep disruption, high irritability and stress, reduce privacy, and decrease quality of life and comfort. Children are especially vulnerable. Chronic noise exposure has been found to negatively impact cognitive development, including reading comprehension, memory, and productivity.
Wondering how you can improve your windows to make your home more comfortable and reduce your utility bills? Follow this flowchart to check out your options!
The PAWS Utility Working Group works with stakeholders in the utility and window industry to support and create utility programs that target consumer, architect and builder uptake of high performance and attachment window products for residential and commercial, new construction, and retrofit applications.
PAWS assembled this playbook for utilities and other stakeholders interested in developing and implementing high-performance window programs.
PAWS has put together a list of residential window and window attachment incentives offered by utility programs around the country, courtesy of PAWS Members Nicor Gas and Ameren Illinois. Over 60 programs exist in total across more than half of all states. Need help understanding the landscape? Have another program to add? Contact us today!
Retrofit of 6,000 sq. ft. single-pane windows by adding secondary window attachments to save energy, increase thermal resistance, reduce air leaks, and improve tenant comfort.
Christine Williamson is the Director of Building Science & Education at Acelab. In this video, she explains while we tend to think of a building’s energy efficiency almost entirely in terms of how well insulated it is, the most important factor influencing energy use is not insulation, but glazing ratio (how much of the enclosure is opaque versus glazed).
This year, the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) is celebrating its 35th anniversary. NFRC was founded to serve the public interest by providing fair, accurate, and credible ratings on the energy performance of fenestration products.
While windows brighten our days and constitute only 10% of the surface area of a typical home, traditional
windows are poor energy performers. As the U.S. prioritizes net zero energy buildings, addresses carbon
emissions, and confronts the challenges of decarbonizing the grid, there is a pressing need to dramatically
increase the availability and use of highly efficient window products.
Window shades and other attachment products can help reduce home energy use at a comparatively low first cost, increasing energy bill affordability for American homeowners and assisting utilities with information about their energy portfolio. However, different shading strategies are required for different climates. This study from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab identifies the most appropriate window attachment solutions for each US IECC climate zone by quantifying potential household energy savings and comparing these to product price through payback period analysis.
Wondering how you can improve your windows to make your home more comfortable and reduce your utility bills? Follow this flowchart to check out your options!
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Join a PAWS working group to help transform the market for high-efficiency window solutions in ways that support our goal of a clean energy future.
