Windows in southern Climate
 

I have recently purchased a home built in 1910. It has some 41 windows, and 3 sets of french doors. The house also has absolutely no insulation in the walls, attic, or subfloor.

This home is located in the gulf south. So obviously I am concerned about my southern electric bill. Everyone keeps telling me to insulate and replace the windows, redo the A/C system, etc. I can insulate the attic and crawlspace easily, but the walls are another matter.

My quote on 41 replacement windows is $10,000 (Low-e, double pane, argon filled). So my concern is that I replace these windows, and I wont really get any savings because the walls will be uninsulated. Is that a correct assumption or not?

My experience has always been that windows in the south dont offer much savings, and I am really trying to maximize the budget here. Should I just get the low e coating on the windows that get sun?

Low-E
 

You have a choice;
of reducing the A/C costs OR getting some solar heat in the winter. If there is no shade on the south side in the summer and the A/C is a burden then get the Low-E. If you can provide shade with trees or shutters in the summer then the free heat in the winter may be desireable.

We only have a few days in the year where heat is actually needed.

Low-e coatings, which are microscopically thin layers of metallic oxide that's bonded to the surface of a window's glass, are so thin you can see right through them yet they prevent heat and ultra-violet (UV) rays from passing through glass. The result? A window with low-e glass does a better job keeping heat in during the winter and out during the summer. And you can also think about changing your windows.


replacement windows

I would think that insulation would give you a bigger bang for the buck. Then just put some shades on the windows to block some of the incoming light to help keep things cooler. You could also apply a DIY uv blocking film to the windows to keep down the heat.