Simonton StormBreaker Plus Products Now Available With Energy Tax Credit (ETC) Glass Packages

PARKERSBURG, W. VA. – To assist coastal area homeowners, builders and remodelers with gaining the most energy efficient windows possible, Simonton Windows^® has added their Energy Tax Credit (ETC) glass package as an upgrade option to their impact-resistant Simonton StormBreaker Plus^® product line. The ETC glass packages qualify for the government’s new tax credit and are certified by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) to meet a U-factor rating of 0.30 or less, and a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of 0.30 or less. These are the energy ratings stated by the U.S. government that are required for homeowners to take advantage of the $1,500 energy tax credit.

The Simonton ETC Super Solar SBP glass package includes a one-inch IGU, Super Spacer® System, Argon gas fill and Low E glass on one surface with impact-resistant glass. The Simonton ETC Super 366 SBP glass package includes a one-inch IGU, Super Spacer System, Argon gas fill and LoĒ³-366 glass on one surface with impact-resistant glass.

A variety of window styles, including double hung, right- and left-hinged casements, slider and awning are available with the glass package options. Picture windows are not currently available with the new ETC glass packages.

Simonton StormBreaker Plus Patio Doors are also available with the two new ETC glass upgrade options when ordered without grids.

“The new glass package options make it easy for consumers to gain savings immediately with energy cost reductions,” says Rebecca Taylor, coastal product manager with Simonton Windows. “The savings come again when homeowners who are replacing their existing windows with these energy-efficient impact-resistant windows apply for a tax credit in 2009 or 2010. It’s like being rewarded twice in the same year. And, each year thereafter, the Simonton StormBreaker Plus windows and doors keep working to protect the home and keep energy bills in check.”
 
Tax Credit Savings for Homeowners
According to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, homeowners can gain a tax credit of up to 30 percent of the cost of qualifying energy efficient upgrades to a maximum of $1,500 per household for 2009 and 2010. The new regulations provide five times more tax credit to homeowners than was previously available under a similar bill, which allowed up to only $200 tax credit on energy efficient window purchases. Additionally, the new law has some very specific restrictions, including:

1. Windows purchased must be equal to, or below, a U Factor of 0.30 and a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of 0.30.
2. The purchase of the qualified windows must be made during the taxable year for which the credit is being claimed.
3. The credit is only allowed on the price of the qualified windows themselves, not on installation costs, onsite preparation, assembly or sales tax.
4. The tax credit is allowable only for qualified window units placed in service in 2009 and 2010.

A full listing of energy-efficient Simonton replacement products that qualify for the energy tax credit is available at www.simonton.com/taxcredit.

Simonton Windows produces ENERGY STAR^®qualified replacement and new construction windows and doors, including a line of impact-resistant products. Simonton ranked “Highest in Builder and Remodeler Satisfaction among Residential Window and Patio Door Manufacturers” in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Builder and Remodeler Residential Window and Patio Door Satisfaction Study^SM. The company was ranked #1 in quality in the 2007 Brand Use Study sponsored by Builder magazine and has won three Best In Class Awards from Market Research Associates.

Founded in 1946, Simonton’s hallmark has been to deliver its made-to-order products in five days or less. Part of the home and hardware division of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE: FO), Simonton delivers nationwide to key markets throughout the 48 continental United States. Simonton is a founding sponsor of The Weather Museum and a corporate partner of Homes for Our Troops. For information, call (800) SIMONTON or visit www.simonton.com. 

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Simonton Windows is not a legal or tax advisor. The information herein is not comprehensive and is not intended to substitute for the advice of a lawyer or professional tax advisor. Simonton expressly disclaims any responsibility for determining whether a window purchase will qualify for the energy tax credit or whether a purchaser will receive the energy tax credit. Simonton recommends that consumers consult their tax advisors and review IRS guidance prior to purchasing any window or door product. For further details on the energy tax credit, visit the IRS website.

Simonton Windows received the highest numerical score in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates/McGraw-Hill Construction 2008 Builder and Remodeler Residential Window and Patio Door Satisfaction StudySM. Study based on 2,837 new-home builders and remodelers. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of new home builders and remodelers surveyed in May through June 2008. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.