What are the primary concerns for Florida home envelopes with a lot of glass?
While glass is necessary for aesthetics, ventilation, light, and safety, it is a major cause of energy loss through your home’s shell (often referred to as thermal envelope). In the cold season, it is desirable to use solar heat to warm rooms in a home. However, since the warm season in Florida is much longer than the cold season, excessive solar heat gain is the biggest concern for our climate. Additionally, glass is easier to break than other parts of the home in the event of hurricanes and tornadoes. Energy efficient windows, however, allow you to use more glass without additional energy penalties, and impact-resistant glass can help address the issue of breakage due to wind-borne debris.
