It was June 2003, and the newly installed chief building official of Parker, Colo., stood before a room of builders to deliver a message he knew they wouldn’t like. But Gil Rossmiller also knew they’d come around. He had a plan for energy efficiency, and wouldn’t need much money to make it happen. Rossmiller wanted them to think differently about buildings – as a system of integrated pieces, that interact with each other, and would do it best if designed in a specific sequence. He cited an example: when builders design air-conditioning systems without first picking the windows and calculating a building’s thermal envelope, they’re doing it wrong. He knew they could boost energy efficiency, add comfort, and save money.

Rossmiller went on to private consulting, currently with Shums Coda Associates, but left Parker, a Denver suburb of 55,000, with a method to ensure efficient energy use in buildings and a group of local builders who support it.

“We took logical steps, integrated them with existing processes, and learned together with our builders,” Rossmiller said. “Energy code enforcement is now just a part of the process like any other building code.”

These are steps most American municipalities have yet to take, he said – energy codes aren’t as well understood and complied with as other parts of the International Code Council’s International Building Code (IBC). For windows, doors, and skylights, also known as fenestration products, that’s in part because of an assumption that an energy-performance label from the National Fenestration Ratings Council (NFRC) affixed to a newly installed window is typically all that’s required for compliance. But the reality is that energy efficiency requires early planning at the design phase. And whilst leaders work toward top-down solutions for compliance, that’s not the only way to drive efficiency– consumers demand it. Efficiency isn’t just a best-practice ideal. It’s also good for business. 

Rossmiller first understood that when he was a builder himself. After working in construction, and then as a private-sector building inspector for a company providing that service to municipalities, he worked in the 2000s as a systems-improvement manager for a local builder struggling with moisture issues in its houses.

“We came look at a house as a system, and that you can’t change one thing in the system without impacting other parts of it,” he said.

Fenestration was central to the challenge for compliance. Rossmiller and colleagues realized they were designing HVAC systems too early in the process. By committing to first calculating a house’s overall thermal envelope, including the fenestration factor, they realized that they could cut HVAC capacity by half, and that solved the moisture problem.

“Customer callbacks for comfort issues practically disappeared,” Rossmiller said.

He took these lessons with him when he became Parker’s chief – and only -- building official in 2003. He aimed to boost efficiency through a greater awareness of and compliance with the International Energy Conservation Code, one element of the IBC. Rossmiller convened builders working in Parker for training sessions given for free by product suppliers, for goods such as house wrap and insulation.

Together, he and builders learned more about defining a building’s thermal envelope, such as considering whether crawlspaces, attics, and HVAC ductwork would be placed inside or outside that envelope. They then moved on to other elements of the building process, and Rossmiller gave buildings time for adaptation before enforcement. By 2006, most of those builders were producing houses at least 15 percent more efficient, and often qualifying for ENERGY STAR® status.

“They resisted at first, but many later told me they’ll never go back to the old ways,” Rossmiller said.

Municipalities that follow the international family of building codes, and make clear that what will be inspected, will eventually find that training and inspection becomes less necessary over time.

Targeting efficiency is increasingly easy, Rossmiller said, given the natural improvements vendors make to their windows, doors, house wrap, and other materials. And code inspectors today have more tools, especially on-site. When Rossmiller was a young code inspector, he’d have to do longhand math on paper during inspections and didn’t have a smartphone available to look up code specifics. This combination of improved products and readily-available technical information should help today’s young building inspectors to better understand what they see in the field, and also create an opportunity to simplify and clarify the building codes themselves.

In his free time, NFRC’s board treasurer Greg McKenna sails, water skis, and paddle boards on the lake near his home in Georgia.  When not out enjoying the water, McKenna is the Director, Field Engineering and Customer Training for Kawneer, Inc., which manufactures curtain wall, storefront, and other architectural fenestration systems for commercial buildings. He has been involved with NFRC since 1992 when NFRC began developing its commercial rating program. He first joined the NFRC board in 2016 and before then was involved in task groups and committees focused on the commercial rating system.

In his third year on the Executive Committee and first year as treasurer, McKenna says he hopes to help improve the commercial rating program to become a user-friendly tool for architects and glazing contractors. McKenna wants it to be a source of information for design-build professionals to use to make informed choices on fenestration products for their buildings and to create a label certificate when required to show compliance to the energy code of the particular community.

In this profile interview, we ask McKenna how his membership and involvement with NFRC has helped him professionally and he shared some insights into the growth and evolution of the organization over his more than 28 years of involvement.

What do you see as some of the biggest changes with NFRC?

There have been several positive changes within NFRC in the last few years. The Board of Directors is now more diverse than in years past. We are trying to recruit new board members who can fill gaps in experience or knowledge. Having differing perspectives on an issue will ultimately lead to better decisions.

I have had the opportunity to meet many very talented and dedicated individuals who have a passion for the work of NFRC. NFRC is a great venue to network and develop many long-lasting business relationships. 

How has the industry evolved in that same time?

Awareness of the benefits of thermal performance, especially in commercial construction, has accelerated over the last couple of decades. Originally, thermal performance was only about what you could see. If you did not have condensation on your windows, the fenestration product was doing its job. More recently, it is all about what you don’t see, such as, “how much energy savings will I see if I improve the U factor or SHGC?” Codes have also moved the industry to improve the thermal performance of fenestration products. Now above code programs, such as LEED V4 for commercial or ENERGY STAR® for residential, push the performance even further. 

What lessons have you learned from being involved in NFRC that you would share with young professionals just getting started in the fenestration industry?

Get involved. Participate in task groups that interest you. You can learn a lot from the individuals who have been in the business a long time. Sometimes the veterans don’t always see the need for change or improvement. Don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo and speak up if you have a better idea.   

How would you describe NFRC to someone who doesn’t know about the organization?

I would say NFRC’s main function has been to rate the energy-related characteristics of fenestration products (such as windows) in a fair, accurate, and credible manner so the consumer of these products can select the proper product for the application. NFRC’s rating system can answer questions like, “what is the thermal transmission, the solar heat gain, and the visible light transmission through a window?”

Where do you think the fenestration industry will be in 10 years? 20 years?

The commercial fenestration industry continues to evolve with 3D modeling of buildings is becoming more widely used. These models contain bills of material and fabrication details of the fenestration. Updates will be handled parametrically and checks for interference with other trades can be performed. Ultimately this will lead to more collaborative design and advanced manufacturing systems.

Where will NFRC be during that same time?

NFRC will need to keep pace with the technology. Thermal performance will someday be determined on exactly what is being built and not just on a standardized size used for product comparison. Designers and engineers want to know how their building is going to perform in real world conditions in real time using actual models of the fenestration system. They also may want to look at several different design scenarios. NFRC will need to adapt to the new technology in the future to ensure that NFRC remains relevant for years to come  

If you could do anything now (outside your current profession or role), what would you do?

I have about 20 years of home improvement projects waiting for me in my spare time and several old cars, including a ’57 Chevy, that I need to restore.

By Michelle Blackston

NFRC was proud to host a three-part webinar series, Building a Sustainable Future : Macro to Micro. We kicked of f the series with a macro look at future weather patterns and predictions, then brought it down to the ground level to examine  how the built environment is responding to climate change, and finished the series with a micro look at innovations in solar glass.

All sessions were recorded and are available anytime on NFRC’s YouTube page . Stream at your convenience and share these links with colleagues.

Future Weather File s was presented by Tom Di Liberto, a climatologist   and science writer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Program Office’s Communication team . Di Liberto gave an in-depth look at future weather patterns, changing climate zones, and what models predict from now until 2100. Learn about the tools and resources on Climate.gov to follow climate trends and changes. 

George Mason University: Path to Net-Zero 2050 or Sooner! showed how in 2007, George Mason University signed the  American College and University President’s Climate Commitment  to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and then created the school’s Office of Sustainability.  Greg Farley, director of University Sustainability at GMU, shared an overview of their Climate Action Plan and how the   campus is reducing  its carbon footprint through the built environment. 

Envisioning the Solar Glass Revolution was presented by Lance Wheeler, Ph.D.,   who leads research at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory . Wheeler discussed his invention of the world’s first thermochromic photovoltaic window. He also share d  energy insights and current state - of - the - art cutting-edge innovations in PV technology and its use in windows.

Expand your r each and support NFRC’s sustainability efforts 

NFRC is excited to announce 2021 Sustainability Sponsorship Opportunities to support our sustainability efforts all year long. Demonstrate your commitment to sustainability while reaching NFRC’s growing network of stakeholders across the fenestration industry. Support educational sessions such as the Building a Sustainable Future webinar series , and increased access to tools and resources for consumers and industry professionals. Learn more about opportunities and benefits of sponsorship by contacting NFRC’s Sustainability Manager Jeremy Browning at jbrowning@nfrc.org .