Is an SHGC of 0.25 good enough, or should I hold out for 0.23?

0.25 is the legal ceiling for replacement glass in Broward under the Florida energy code. ENERGY STAR's Southern-zone criterion is tighter at 0.23, with a U-factor of 0.32 or lower. Both numbers are maximums, so a lower SHGC lets in less sun heat. Ask for the rated figure of each unit on the quote.

Do replacement windows in Pompano Beach have to meet the energy code?

Yes. Florida's energy code says a replaced unit, sash and glass included, must meet the same SHGC limit as new construction. Where several units are replaced, an area-weighted average is allowed, and up to 15 square feet of glass per home is exempt. Storm windows over existing ones and film on single-pane glass are separate exceptions.

Can I still claim a federal tax credit for efficient windows?

Not for new work. The IRS says the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit covered improvements made through December 31, 2025. Older guides and some product pages still mention it, including the Department of Energy's 2021 window guide, so treat any tax-credit claim on a 2026 quote as out of date.

How much can efficient windows cut a power bill here?

The Department of Energy's consumer guide says ENERGY STAR windows can save as much as 7% to 15% or more on annual household energy bills, depending on location and what the old windows were. No published figure is specific to Pompano Beach, so treat any quoted savings number as an estimate.

Energy-Efficient Windows in Pompano Beach, FL

Typical cost: Fixr's 2026 replacement guide lists a window with low-E glass at about $300 to $1,100.
Install time: Bob Vila estimates roughly two hours to set one impact window, and about twice that on a second floor.
Code limit: in Broward, Florida's energy code caps solar heat gain at an SHGC of 0.25 for replacement glass and sets no U-factor limit.
ENERGY STAR (Southern zone): an SHGC of 0.23 or lower and a U-factor of 0.32 or lower.

Pompano Windows forwards your details to an installer who can price coated, impact-rated glass for every opening on the house. Say which rooms run hot and which way they face; the installer calls back to measure and writes up the glass specs unit by unit.

Energy-Efficient Window Types: Glass Coatings, Tints and Insulated Units

These are the glass options an energy-efficient window quote will list, with the frame choice covered on the aluminum and vinyl pages.

Living room with new low-E impact windows letting in bright daylight

Low-E coated glass

A low-E coating is a microscopically thin metal or metallic oxide layer on one of the panes, nearly invisible from either side. It cuts the infrared radiation that carries heat. The Department of Energy's consumer guide adds that low-E glass reflects ultraviolet light and can reduce fading of furniture and floors by as much as 75%.

Fixr price for a window with low-E glass: about $300 to $1,100.

Large clear spectrally selective windows facing a sunny pool deck

Spectrally selective low-E glass

This is the version built for hot climates: it reflects the infrared part of sunlight and passes visible light. The Department of Energy says it filters 40% to 70% of the heat that would come through insulated glass while letting the full amount of light through. In the agency's computer simulations, this glazing cut the electric cooling needs of new buildings in hot climates by more than 40%.

Bronze-tinted windows on a single-story stucco house in afternoon sun

Gray and bronze tinted glass

Tinted glass absorbs a large share of incoming sun, which lowers solar heat gain and glare. The common gray and bronze tints aren't spectrally selective, though, so they cut light as well as heat, and some heat still passes through by conduction. If the glass passes less than 70% of visible light, indoor plants can grow slowly or die, which matters in a sunroom full of them.

Cross-section view of a double-pane window frame on a work table

Insulated double-pane glass with gas fill

Two panes sealed around an air space mainly lower the U-factor and also trim the SHGC. Some makers fill the gap with argon or krypton, gases that resist heat flow better than air. Broward's code sets no U-factor limit, so in a house here the SHGC rating carries more weight than the pane count.

Row of white ENERGY STAR style replacement windows on a block wall house

ENERGY STAR certified windows

ENERGY STAR Version 7.0 has applied since October 23, 2023. For windows in the Southern zone, it calls for an SHGC of 0.23 or lower and a U-factor of 0.32 or lower. Doors that are more than half glass need a U-factor of 0.28 or lower and the same 0.23 SHGC. The label names the climate zones where the product performs best.

Installer measuring a window opening in a stucco wall before a new window goes in

Why Pompano Beach homeowners call Pompano Windows

One independent installer calls back, not a list of five
The request costs you nothing
Ask for approval numbers and design pressures on the quote
Permit, removal and stucco patching priced in writing

Florida Energy Code Rules for Replacement Windows

Broward County is climate zone 1A in the 2023 Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation (8th edition). Table R402.1.2 sets a 0.25 SHGC maximum for all glazed fenestration in zone 1 and leaves the U-factor unregulated.

Replacements must comply. Section R503.1.1.1 says that a new unit replacing all or part of an existing one, sash and glass included, has to meet that table. With more than one replacement unit, an area-weighted average is allowed.

Small amounts are exempt. Up to 15 square feet of glazed fenestration per dwelling unit doesn't have to meet the U-factor or SHGC numbers.

Two alterations sit outside the rule. Storm windows added over existing windows and film applied to single-pane glass are listed exceptions.

No federal credit now. The 25C credit ended with improvements made through December 31, 2025. Florida code numbers can also shift with the next code edition.

What to Compare on Energy-Efficient Window Quotes

U-factor and SHGC per unit. The Department of Energy describes U-factor as how well a window insulates, usually 0.20 to 1.20 for windows, and SHGC as the share of the sun's heat that comes through, from 0 to 1. Lower is better on both. Ask that each line of the quote show both numbers next to the product approval.

Orientation. For warm climates, the same guide recommends low-SHGC glass on south, east and west walls.

Impact rating stays the deciding spec. In the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, energy glass still has to be an approved, labeled HVHZ unit.

Lead paint on older houses. Federal rules require anyone paid to disturb painted surfaces in a home built before 1978 to be EPA lead-safe certified, and window sills are among the surfaces EPA flags. Much of Pompano Beach's housing predates that year, so ask whether the crew is certified.

See soundproof windows.