Depends, on some level, where the home is located in Nebraska. How tight a shell are you building?

As todd alluded to, the condensation resistance ratings should require no additional interpretation... Now if you are asking what will be a better choice overall as it pertains to balancing energy efficiency, visible light through the window, condensation resistance, etc, that becomes a little more complicated and I'm guessing that is the reason for the follow up q's by WoW. For instance, those south facing windows with an awning over them may be an excellent opportunity for passive solar gain (energy savings), and the awning (if properly designed) could negate the need for the heavy doses of low e.

Thanks guys. Sorry I wasn't aware there was a condensation rating readily available. I will ask about that. Located in SE Nebraska (near Lincoln). House will be built very tight with flash/batt insulation and ERV fans.

My builder has concerns installing wood (aluminum clad) windows because of condensation and rot over time on the bottom of the window.

I was just curious if there was a general consensus on E2 vs E3 for condensation. My thought process was that in the winter the window glass will generally be warmer with E2 than E3 as more sunlight is getting in and warming the glass. Therefore condensation should be decreased. I realize the difference is probably very minimal, but anything helps.

I believe we can deal with the shade requirements with exterior awnings.

Triple panes with high performance spacer might be what you want

Unfortunately triple pane is not an option with Marvin's Contemporary Casements. It sounds like maybe the E2 vs E3 isn't going to make a huge difference with condensation and I should focus more on the energy efficiency and slight shading benefits.

Currently the windows are spec'd with E3, condensation ratings are 57-59. I am going to see how that compares with E2.

James, I can see your line of thought with the sunlight warming the windows=less condensation, however that is not when you will see condensation. It will be at night during the coldest hours, and in those times the heavier low-e will be beneficial. Again, that is NOT beneficial during the day for the passive solar gain, but we need to prioritize... I do have to say that with the home being built as tightly as you've stated, even with the ERV's I can see why your builder would be concerned. Kudos to he and you on that, most never think that far ahead. That said, if ultimate efficiency is your concern, you may reconsider this window choice for that reason as well as the CR (condensation resistance). A good triple pane will be in the 70's as opposed to 50's. Further, those windows at .29-.30 are not even Energy Star rated in your Northern Zone... Just some food for thought. If you are opposed to the possibility of high quality vinyl (just assuming that), you could probably still source a composite with triple pane and much better ratings for a similar (or even lower) price.

I didn't even think of the day/night sunlight and temps. Very good point. The issue we are having is that we have several windows larger than 36x72, which is the max size for many of the more energy efficient windows (integrity, etc). We need at least 42x84 max sizing.

We also are going for the black/black thin framing, small jambs look. With SDLs. This is actually quite an important factor as well.

Anything that fits all criteria out there?