We have prepared some information to guide the homeowner through the process of selecting the best window options for the openings in his or her home. The emphasis here is on new construction---selecting the right windows for the new home---but the principles are also applicable to the retrofit market (replacing or modifying the windows in existing residences.) The basic process of choosing the right window option is somewhat involved, because there are so many variables to consider. We have provided you with five different ways to access this information. They are described below the following links to our window selection guidelines. Below that is some additional information on spectrally selective glass coatings.

Tutorial paper, pdf file -- This is an educational article for homeowners, about windows and window selection, that takes some time to read, but provides considerable background information and introductory explanations in case you are not that familiar with the terminology involved. (For more detail, you may wish to read the longer and slightly more technical version of this paper written for the window industry: Industry Guide.)

Selection principles -- This is a shorter listing of the basic principles behind our selection guidelines. Readers with some familiarity with basic physics and window terminology may find this short paper a more efficient way to access the information.

Selection table, pdf file -- This is a still shorter, tabular listing of our basic recommendations, in one single table. It may be difficult to read for the novice, but it offers the essence of the two previous contributions in a very short, abbreviated listing of our recommendations.

Tutorial Slide Show -- This is a presentation, 101 slides long, adapted from the slide show used in a half day short course on window options for U.S. residences. It is a more graphical presentation of much of the material in the tutorial paper pdf file but includes less explanatory text and some additional material not found anywhere else on this site about the variety of window options, problems with the window market, and some of the environmental and larger political motivations behind a recommendation that you select the best window you can afford for your application.