Hi Kevin, A couple of thoughts... Are you considering hardcoat and softcoat in the same window??? I read your last post that way, but I certainly could have misunderstood. There are actually two (well, three now) types of softcoats available. Basically, they fall into the high solar gain and low solar gain categories. Hardcoats are really "mid-E" rather than LowE in that their emissivity numbers aren't as good as the softcoats. The high solar gain softcoats have almost the same solar energy gain, but also they are better at keeping non-solar-heat inside your home when the warmth is trying to escape. I suspect that when you felt the difference between the hardcoat and softcoat products you may have been comparing a low solar gain rather than high solar gain. But, you are correct that the hardcoat will allow slightly more solar heat to pass thru the window when will even the high solar gain softcoat - and again, the trade-off is that the hardcoat will let more heat travel in the other direction as well. Your idea of triple pane will work very nicely at blocking inside heat from escaping, but if you are planning to coat two surfaces then you might have issues with additional blocking of solar gain as well. Something to keep in mind. Triple panes can come in two different varieties. First, you can have a triple pane with wider airspace between each lite - almost like two double panes joined together. Second, you can have a triple pane that is like a double pane with an extra lite dropped between the inner and outer lites. The first version gives you a fat IGU which doesn't work in some folk's sash arrangement. The second version gives you a relatively thinner IGU that will fit into a narrower sash and is probably more adaptable to various types of windows. What about energy performance? Both versions work very well when they have a LowE coating on two interior surfaces. The narrower spaced IGU performs exceedingly well when krypton gas is used in the airspace - krypton actually has its best performance numbers in an airspace that is in the 1/4" range. But, drop the LowE and krypton gas and the narrow space IGU has a number of problems because of the narrow space and will not have as good performance as a dual pane with a LowE coating. The wider version of a triple pane - clear glass only - will have performance numbers almost as good as a dual pane with LowE and argon. Add LowE coatings to two surfaces and add argon - which has an optimum performance in a 7/16" airspace and again you have some darn good performance numbers. In your case, as you have already noted, you can't have either argon or krypton gas infill. You are simply too high. Your windows will probably come with either a capillary tube or a breather tube to allow the IG to equalize to the air pressure at your elevation. Typical "breather tubes" are aluminum, short in length, provide a relatively large opening for equalizing pressure, and they are "sealed" once the window has been installed. Typical capillary tubes, on the other hand, are stainless steel, longer (18" possible), very narrow opening, and are left open to the air after the unit is installed. Although specific recommendations and usage are very much manufacturer dictated, as a general rule capillary tubes are used in dry, high altitude, environments to equalize pressure on windows installed in that environment. Again, they are not sealed when installed; they remain open to the air...this allows the window to react to changes in barometric pressure which can be considerable at altitude. Don't get the idea that you can see the window "breathe" if it has a capillary tube however. It actually takes a very long time for air pressure inside the window and outside the window to equalize. This slow air exchange helps keep the window from excessive flexing.

Tigerdunes, So you are saying you're familiar with the climate here--and you would be comfortable leaving out the LP? I have wondered about this myself, since the house we just sold (subdivision, mass-built) was heatpump only, with LP ventless logs in the LR. Our utility bills were very low. But now that we're building, everyone we ask is saying they wouldn't do it any way other than HP w/ furnace backup. I don't understand why, since our bills have always been low with elec. HP-only. I forgot to clarify--there is no Nat. Gas. It would be LP from our own tank. We are planning to have 1 set of vented LP logs in the LR. We actually used them quite often in the last house to supplement the heat, and take the chill off. They made a big difference in heating the house, but that one was 2-story and I think the heat was able to rise. Not sure if they'd have the same effect in a ranch. I will research the systems you mentioned, as well as some of the terms you used! It's like reading Chinese!! haha I will also use the fuel calculator-will take some research to find the numbers but it looks helpful. Thanks! Ryan, you are right about needing more quotes. Thank for getting me moving on that. I passed the plans along to one sub today who has 40 years' experience and works alone. Thanks again for all your help. I've been searching for threads on here regarding elec. HP only vs. gas backup, but can't find anything.

Had a long talk with the builder's HVAC contractor. I plan to go with: - Carrier 58MVC080F114 furnace - Carrier 24ANA1036 a/c - most likely with N-coil, tin-plated fan coil - Honeywell HM509H8908 steam humidifier - Lennox Healthy Climate HEPA-40 air cleaner - Infinity thermostat But here's my question: I've asked him to price a two and a three-zone setup: 2 zones: - main level (it's a 1,900sf ranch with full basement), - basement 3 zones: - main level living/dining/kitchen - main level bedrooms, bathrooms - basement The prices I got (in addition to all equipment) are: - 2-zone: $3,888 - 3-zone: $4,714 I can't imagine I, or the system, will EVER live long enough to see an ROI for this $$, so my questions are: - Given that the builder has already told me he adds 18% to HIS vendor's prices ... any comment on these numbers?? - Given that it's new construction, upgraded insulation, tight house, UNfinished basement: - I assume that energy savings of changing settings for unused rooms will NEVER return a payback, unless energy costs REALLY soar; - can anybody give me any help in figuring out how I evaluate the value of zoning, for this house? In other words: do the numbers seem reasonable, and would any right-minded human being ever consider paying this much money to put two or three-zone zoning into their home?? We're not wealthy, but I firmly believe this will be the home my wife and I (no others) live in for decades ... and understand that much of the big-ticket items, in this scenario, have -- at best -- about an 18yr service life. I also tend to think that energy costs WILL continue to climb.... Incidentally, the HVAC contractor seemed to know an awful lot about how zoning affects static pressures, and how duct sizing may need to be modified for a proper install ... at least ... to my totally uneducated ears ;-) Many thanks ... again!

I agree lower cost savings should be done first. Such as sealing and insulating. Then take a hard look at those old windows. We added vinyl double pane low E windows 3 months after we bought our house. Replaced aluminum double panes. We offered on house in late September when it's still warm here in AR. We had problems with cold drafts soon after we moved in early December. We had a hard snow storm 2 weeks later as temps dropped down into the low teens. I woke up the next morning and there was at least an inch of ice build up on the inside of our bedroom windows! Starting looking at all the windows and realized condensation had been an on going problem evidenced by warped window sills. I should have caught that before we offered, although I did notice fogged window panes indicating problems with some of the windows for which we asked and received a $1,500 repair allowance at closing. Still, I was not happy that I missed the deplorable condition of the windows. Life is full of lesson I suppose! Immediately began the process of shopping for good windows and a good installer. 8 weeks later, we had $7,500 worth of new windows. Keep in mind we have 1" foil sheathing all around the exterior of house, walls are insulated as well as possible without going to extremes to improve and attic had 6" of blown cellulose. After install, no more drafts!! Gas bill for those first 3 months of winter (and those 3 months are winter in AR) averaged $255 and 187 CCF of nat gas per month. Highest average in the 4 winters since has been $191 and 136 CCF of nat gas. Overall nat gas savings has been right at $300 per year. As for electricity, I didn't have to run A/C for those first 3 winter months, but a heat gain calc on my house shows the windows gain 3 times the heat over what the loss is, so I would think the electricity savings would be 3 times greater in kWh than for CCFs. I would estimate that, based on known kWh cost usage, at $392 a year. So the windows cut my utility costs by $692 a year, or 29%.