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Posted By Tom Herron, National Fenestration Rating Council,
Thursday, May 8, 2014
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 On April 23, NFRC’s CEO, Jim Benney, recognized Nelson
Peña’s contribution to the board of directors by presenting him with 2014
Service Award.
Nelson recently concluded six years on the board and was
the technical lead on windows for the Energy Commission for the 2005, 2008, and
2013 Energy Efficiency Standards.
Nelson has been the
representative for the Energy Commission at the NFRC Membership meetings for
the last 13 years and has been a key component in serving the interests of
Californians and the California window industry.
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Posted By Tom Herron, National Fenestration Rating Council,
Monday, April 28, 2014
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According to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL),
the amount of energy lost through windows represents four to five percent of
total U.S. energy consumption at an annual cost of $50 billion. Yet fewer than
30 percent of commercial buildings use high-performance windows, doors, and
skylights – otherwise known as fenestration.
One way building owners can save energy, facilitate sustainability, and
maximize their return on investment is by requiring these products to exceed energy
performance codes.
Many people assume using more windows increases the potential
for energy loss. In reality, however, the right
windows actually enhance overall building performance. The judicious use of
fenestration reduces energy consumption by decreasing HVAC and lighting loads
while allowing natural ventilation. Furthermore, buildings with above-energy-code
fenestration command higher resale value, minimize environmental impact, and
improve an organization’s reputation.
High-performance fenestration also offers many other
benefits. For example, multiple studies reveal that adequate daylighting improves
productivity in businesses, increases sales in retail stores, facilitates
learning in schools, and promotes faster healing in hospitals.
Another important -- although somewhat lesser known -- advantage
of high-performance fenestration is that it helps reduce peak loads on the
energy grid, decreasing stress and increasing reliability.
Exceeding Code: Good for Owners, Good
for Tenants
While fenestration
energy-performance codes are evolving to improve minimum standards, surpassing these
standards protects owners and tenants from the unforeseen financial consequences
arising from short-sighted design or construction decisions. Demanding windows,
doors, and skylights that exceed energy performance codes also encourages the fenestration
industry to develop products that are more efficient and to create innovative
design strategies.
Moreover, building
owners who demand above-energy-code fenestration demonstrate their commitment
to green construction and sustainability. By sharing these energy performance
ratings, owners are enabling their clients to make educated, informed decisions
when buying, renting, or leasing a building. By helping their tenants minimize
utility bills, owners are also helping themselves by staving off the potentially
high cost of future retrofits.
Financial Advantages to Building
Owners
Buildings
consume about 70 percent of the electricity in the U.S. This makes it more
important than ever for owners to insist on above-code energy performance from
their windows, doors, and skylights. While sometimes overlooked, analyzing the
value of high-performance fenestration during the integrated design process is
a practical strategy that can maximize return on investment and help make our buildings
greener, cleaner, and more sustainable.
Perhaps most compelling of all, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates
that building energy codes will produce a financial benefit to owners of nearly
$2 billion annually by 2015, increasing to over $15 billion annually by 2030.
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Posted By Tom Herron, National Fenestration Rating Council,
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
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High-performance windows, doors, and skylights can make our homes and buildings more comfortable and energy efficient, but maximizing their contribution depends on occupant behavior. It’s easy to overlook the role people play in contributing to green building and sustainability. When we think about high-performance structures, we often focus on design, construction, and technology. With Americans spending 90 percent of their time indoors, however, the way people interact with these structures is also important for improving overall building performance. In hot sunny climates, for instance, actions that reduce energy consumption yet sacrifice comfort are unlikely to achieve their intended results. This is because occupants generally act to override their discomfort. For example, they may draw the curtains across high-performance windows on a sunny day and turn on the lights to avoid glare. Considering the building’s orientation during the integrated design process, however, can lead to better solutions. Planting deciduous trees or shrubs near windows and installing canopies or awnings are two good ways to harvest (free) daylight while controlling solar heat gain and glare.
Similarly, installing windows with Low-e coating can improve occupant comfort and energy efficiency. These are ideal for heat-dominated climates because they preserve visible transmittance. They also reduce solar heat gain and glare. If you need a solution for an existing home or building, window films are a good option. Another example of building occupants acting to override their discomfort occurs during the winter. People sometimes raise the thermostat and open multiple windows so they can enjoy fresh air without getting cold.
A more effective solution is installing operable windows, which allow natural ventilation and prevent Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from accumulating. Operable windows also provide an important psychological benefit – the feeling of control over one’s environment.
The bulk of our energy consumption comes from seeking the balance among comfort, energy efficiency, and good indoor air quality. Encouraging more interaction between occupants and the built environment helps them better understand how their actions affect their surroundings and their utility bills. In the future, the highest-performing buildings may not be those that initially exceed code. Instead, they may be the ones that provide an engaging environment where occupants share responsibility for managing energy consumption. In fact, making buildings perform better depends on educated and committed occupants who proactively interact directly with the buildings they inhabit. While ever-expanding technology will continue providing new ideas, tools, and equipment for making improvements, our actions are what ultimately get the job done.
As Kathryn Janda of the Environmental Change Institute at Oxford University said in her paper of the same title, “Buildings don’t use energy – people do.”
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Posted By Tom Herron, National Fenestration Rating Council,
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
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The National Fenestration Rating Council
(NFRC) issued a call for submissions today for the NFRC 25th
Anniversary Student Film Contest. The contest is part of a yearlong celebration
of NFRC’s quarter-century of service to architects, builders and consumers.
College
students in the U.S. and Canada are invited to answer the question, “Why do
windows matter?” in a video production lasting no more than five minutes. NFRC
will award the top three filmmakers with cash scholarships.
“There’s
any number of ways participants can run with this,” said NFRC CEO Jim Benney. “In
a way, we’re looking to these students for inspiration through their creativity
and imagination. And it’s a great way for NFRC to celebrate its 25th
anniversary.”
Entries
are due by August 1, 2014, at 11:59 p.m. A panel of NFRC members will view and
judge the submissions. The top three entries will be screened at NFRC’s Fall
Membership Meeting on Sept. 22 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and
posted to NFRC’s website, www.nfrg.org.
“This
is an exciting new undertaking for us and will be a great way to engage
students in the work we do,” said Jessica Finn, NFRC membership coordinator.
“We hope participating students will see their films as an important element in
promoting energy efficiency and environmental responsibility.”
Interested
students should visit https://nfrccommunity.site-ym.com/?Filmcontest
for contest information, rules, and registration.
Contact NFRC's Membership Coordinator, Jessica Finn, at 240-821-9512 with any questions.
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Posted By Tom Herron, National Fenestration Rating Council,
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
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NFRC’s Program Director, Scott Hanlon, spoke about the
success of the Independent Verification Program (IVP) during this morning’s
open board meeting as the Spring Committee Week Meeting concluded.
Hanlon noted that NFRC has completed 107 studies and has 12
in progress. To date, the program has assisted with replacing 17 units.
NFRC currently plans to test 240 products during 2014.
“There have been no EPA unsuccessful tests and no issues
with rating tolerances, only profile variations,” Hanlon said. “The IVP adds value to our programs and helps us better serve the public.”
Under the IVP program, products are tested to determine if their
construction, performance, and components are consistent with the way they were
originally simulated and tested by authorized
for certification.
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Posted By Tom Herron, National Fenestration Rating Council,
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
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The Technical Committee block concluded with a number of
calls for volunteers.
NFRC LAP Manager, Dennis Anderson, is seeking those
interested in working on condensation resistance ratings.
He is also looking for volunteers to test
Window/Therm7 to facilitate its full adoption, alleviating
the need for LBNL to support W/T6 and
WT7.
Toward the end of the session, NFRC Program Director, Scott
Hanlon asked for volunteers for the Residential Component Based Calculation Taskgroup.
Committee Chair, Mike Thoman, concluded the block by pointing out the need to fill the committee’s vice chair position.
Anyone interested in
serving in these volunteer positions should contact their NFRC staff liaison.
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Posted By Tom Herron, National Fenestration Rating Council,
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
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NFRC’s
Senior Program Manager, Ray McGowan, discusses the highlights of this morning’s
Technical Committee proceedings.
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Posted By Tom Herron, National Fenestration Rating Council,
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
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.jpg) NFRC Chair, Jeff Baker,
served as Honorary Duckmaster yesterday, escorting the Peabody Ducks along the
red carpet to their penthouse home on the Plantation Roof via the lobby elevator.
According to The Peabody Hotel website, the time-honored tradition of the March of the Peabody
Ducks began in the early 1930s.
At 11 a.m. each morning, the ducks march from their rooftop home known as Royal
Duck Palace along a red carpet to the tune of John Philip Sousa’s “King Cotton March” to a
marble fountain at the center of the hotel’s lobby. At 5 p.m., the procession
reverses and the ducks retire for the evening.
When off-duty they live in the Royal
Duck Palace, a $200,000 marble and glass
structure that includes its own fountain.
More about the Peabody
ducks
.jpg)
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Posted By Tom Herron, National Fenestration Rating Council,
Monday, March 24, 2014
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 Paul Young, Administrator for the Memphis and Shelby County
Office of Sustainability, told the NFRC membership today that learning about
the organization has given him a new angle for reaching out to those who can
benefit the most from improved sustainability.
Young addressed the group, saying he was unfamiliar with NFRC
until he found out its conference was coming to Memphis. He quickly pointed out, however,
that learning about NFRC’s mission will make his office more productive.
“As a government
official, I’m always looking for new ways to help people better understand the importance
of making our communities more sustainable -- ways that resonate,” Young said. “Discovering
your ratings program has given me a new way to do that.”
One program Young said can benefit from improved sustainability is the city’s Green Prisons Initiative, which involves
enhancing the energy efficiency of the prisons and training prisoners for
careers in sustainability once they are released.
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Posted By Tom Herron, National Fenestration Rating Council,
Monday, March 24, 2014
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 Outgoing Chair, Steve Strawn, introduced Jeff Baker (left) as the
new Chair of the Board during today’s opening session.
“I’d like to thank the board for electing me…,” Baker said. “I’ve
been around for a long time, and I very much appreciate this.”
Baker praised the NFRC membership saying the people who
volunteer to serve NFRC are the lifeblood of the organization and the industry.
“Without your help we
could not advance our mission to provide fair, accurate, and credible energy
performance ratings for fenestration products,” Baker told the group.
Contact Tom Herron with any questions about this week's meeting proceedings.
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