How to Upgrade Windows in Historic Buildings for a 20% Tax Credit

Out with the old and in with the new is not always a good thing. And when it comes to historic buildings, the government agrees. In fact, preserving the physical integrity and re-use of historic buildings can qualify you for a 20% tax credit.

Overseen by the Department of the Interior and the National Parks Service, the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program encourages private investments to preserve and protect historic properties. However, in order to qualify for the tax credit, owners and managers of historic buildings must meet restorative guidelines. Before any work can begin, the State Historic Preservation Offices and the National Park Service first review the proposed rehabilitation project to ensure that it complies with the Secretary’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

One of the biggest challenges that owners and managers of historic buildings often face is finding a cost-effective way to upgrade the energy performance of building windows while meeting these rehabilitation guidelines. The Department of the Interior heavily restricts the way historic windows can be repaired or replaced. For example, the replacement of historic windows must be guided by Standard 6, which requires building owners or managers to match the design, visual qualities and materials of the existing windows. Since some of these buildings are well over 100 years old, these restrictions can pose a daunting – and often expensive – challenge.

Thermolite windows installed in the Department of the Interior Headquarters

A convenient and cost-effective way to improve the energy performance of historic windows while still meeting the requirements of the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program is to install interior retrofit windows. Thermolite has worked with numerous government agencies – including the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service –to help GSA-owned historic buildings significantly cut energy costs while meeting all historic preservation guidelines via energy-efficient retrofit windows. This type of secondary window system installs on the interior of a building’s existing windows, eliminating the time-consuming need to identify, match and preserve the various distinctive features, finishes, construction techniques and craftsmanship that characterize the historic property’s windows.

Contact us today to learn more about how Thermolite’s retrofit windows can help owners and managers of historic buildings improve energy performance and qualify you for a 20% federal historic preservation tax credit.

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