An issue I am having finding super HE windows, or any window, is ones that have high solar gain glazing for south passive solar windows. May just go with double glazed with high R window covers of some design. It would take a lot of DIY heat to repay 1,000. dollar windows.

High Performance Windows Volume Puirchase...
 

Drake,

There's a govt. program to help provide economy of scale to the high performance windows market.

Here's the concept:

High Performance Windows Volume Purchase: For Residential Buyers

...and here's a page that is a front end to a database query that will tell you what manufacturers are participating in this program. Not all of the windows made by these manufacturers are part of the program, so you need to identify which windows will work for you and stick with that window.

R-5 Windows Volume Purchase : Highly Insulating Windows Volume Purchase

Good luck, it can be done.

-AC_Hacker

Though this program may lower the cost of HE windows I can find if any are available with High solar gain coefficient glazing that is best for passive solar design. HSGC windows are getting very hard to get. They are great windows for all sides of building but southern, if you are looking for as much free sun as possible.

I thought that Energy Star guidelines required that the SHGC be limited. There was a Star Tribune article a few years back that said to skip the Energy Star windows on the south side so you can get the solar gain in the winter since that is where most of our climate control energy goes, heating and to use the energy star windows for the rest of the house. I'm not sure if all of that is accurate at all since I thought the Minnesota St Fair guys who did their passive house used Serious Windows, I figured they qualified as energy star. SHGC was 0.5 I think.

In the HE window incentive programs passive solar is getting left out. I think the passive in some designs is not referring to passive solar gain. More the idea of a building shell that lose as little heat as possible created by mechanical means. I am not that surprised that the cheapest, cost effective, independent form of heat gain(even if not 100%) not being promoted.

For those near British Columbia, you may want to compare Cascadia Windows and Doors. They have some HE triples with fiberglass frames, and high solar gain models.
Cascadia Windows | Technology | Energy Ratings

Hi -- If you are looking for a good way to examine the tradeoff between solar gain and heat loss on specific windows, the RESFEN program (free) is good: LBNL Window & Daylighting Software -- RESFEN

It does a full hour by hour simulation for your climate and it includes solar heat gain and window orientation.

Gary

Have no need to calculate what good passive solar design can do as existing cabin warms to 50/60 degrees on sunny days even on subzero days with no other heat source with older standard double glazed windows. The challenge is to store and minimize loss of that gained FREE heat cost effectively as simple tech as possible. Well designed window can be helpful with that if glazed right. Related item that I haven't found much info on is super high R exterior doors.

I'd be very interested to see what you come up with here.

I did find a photo of a German Passivehaus door:


...and also this construction detail drawing:


Drake,

Are you handy with tools?

-AC_Hacker

So it's basically a normal foam core door with another surface for a second seal?

If the normal seal doesn't fail, then having a second seal doesn't seem to be much of an advantage. My front door has a U-value of 0.12. 0.12 is an R-value of 8.33. If you want a piece of glass in your door that will go down dramatically. If we wanted higher R-value, I'd have to say that we might need a thicker door. Either that or you could add a storm door to the outside that seals well and has some insulating value as some efficient options do exist. This would probably be a better bet than the passivehouse door on its own and likely much cheaper.