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NFRC Certified Products: The Fruitful Choice in Windows, Doors, and Skylights
Posted By Edward Armstrong, Monday, October 18, 2021

In the energy efficiency and retrofit arena, we speak reverentially of “low-hanging fruit.” This typically refers to actions or measures that are easy to implement, pay immediate and long-term dividends, and provide rewards that are so apparent, it’s a no-brainer to make the decision.

 

When it comes to a building’s windows, doors, and skylights, an excellent example of low-hanging fruit is the specification and selection of National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC)certified products. It’s a choice that should be front-of-mind for architects, designers, sustainability officers, CFOs, and building owners as they engage in new construction or retrofit projects. 

 

NFRC certification provides an assurance that the product you choose has been rated by the world’s foremost expert in window, door, and skylight performance. In fact, the NFRC label provides the only reliable way to determine the window energy properties and compare products.

 

The NFRC brand is universally recognized. For example, ENERGY STAR® relies on NFRC ratings to determine product eligibility, and the ratings are found on all ENERGY STAR-qualified window, door, and skylight products. They are also used to determine if the products meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

 

Further, all major standards and programs for window energy efficiency, such as building energy codes, tax credits, and utility incentives, establish criteria based on certified ratings by the NFRC. The NFRC’s role as the United States’ official organization for rating and labeling energy performance of fenestration products, was codified by Congress in the National Energy Policy Act 1992.

 

Why NFRC Certification and Ratings Matters to Designers and Building Managers

In the big picture, this is of immense importance in the pursuit of reducing energy consumption. The buildings sector accounts for about 76 percent of electricity use and 40 percent of all U. S. primary energy use and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Studies suggest that advanced window technologies, as part of integrated building designs that incorporate dimmable lighting, have the potential to save as much as four quadrillion BTUs of energy annually. That translates to over $50 billion a year in savings for building owners.

 

The need for reliable and readily accessible data relating to sustainability and energy efficiency in the built environment has never been more in demand, as evidenced in a recent report published by the American Institute of Architects, “The Architect’s Journey to Specification.”

 

“Although 80 percent of architects want to specify more sustainable materials, only one in three feels they are meeting that responsibility today. They’re looking for knowledge and information that will help them design for sustainability and performance while communicating the value to clients.”

  

The good news here is that the NFRC has it covered on the building fenestration front. For example, the NFRC label helps to compare between energy-efficient windows, doors, and skylights by providing energy performance ratings in the most relevant categories. These metrics include:

 

    • Air Leakage measures how much air will enter a room through a product. The lower the number, the fewer drafts.
    • Solar Heat Gain Coefficient measures how well a product can resist unwanted heat gain, which is critical during summer cooling season. The lower the number, the less spent on cooling. 
    • U-Factor measures how well a product can keep heat from escaping from the inside of a room. The lower the number, the better a product is at retaining heat.
    • Visible Transmittance measures how well a product is designed to effectively light a space with daylight, potentially saving money on artificial lighting. The higher the number, the more natural light is let in.

 

The NFRC Testing and Verification Process

The procedure by which a fenestration product attains NFRC certification is thorough, rigorous, and stringently objective. It involves:

    • NFRC-accredited testing laboratories that conduct physical tests.
    • NFRC-licensed independent certification and inspection agencies, responsible for reviewing the simulation and test reports.
    • NFRC-recognized air leakage laboratories to conduct air leakage testing per ASTM E283 and/or NAFS.
    • NFRC-accredited simulation laboratories that utilize approved software to determine the energy performance ratings for windows, doors, skylights, and glazed wall systems in accordance with NFRC standards.

 

In addition to the certification programming described above, NFRC provides a wide-array of resources to aid in the education and understanding of fenestration science and, through its NFRC Certified Products Directory, maintains a filterable database of NFRC-certified products.

 

Through its readily accessible and universally accepted certification and labeling programs, NFRC empowers people to create better buildings. By choosing NFRC-certified fenestration products, those in the building sector demonstrate a commitment to energy efficiency and environmental responsibility. It’s a commitment that accrues benefits to the environment, society and each building’s occupants. Truly, a fruitful choice.

 

 

Edward “Ed” Armstrong is consultant serving clients in the private, nonprofit, and public sectors with a full range of public relations, marketing, and analytical services. He has worked extensively throughout his career on a variety of energy and natural resource conservation issues. This includes senior level positions at the Energy Management Association, The Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates®, and Porter Novelli. Mr. Armstrong Serves on the Editorial Board of the Distributed Generation & Alternative Energy Journal and was elected to the Vestry of the Gaithersburg Ascension Church in January 2021, where he is active on environmental and social justice issues. 

Tags:  architecture  energy efficiency  energy performance  fenestration  green building  NFRC ratings 

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What Does Fenestration Look Like in a Zero Net Energy World?
Posted By Duane Jonlin, Seattle Energy Code Advisor, Monday, October 4, 2021

Last week I saw a bumper sticker on a huge black SUV: “There’s more to life than gas mileage.” This is true. While fenestration is responsible for a great deal of energy use (solar gain in summer, heat loss in winter, air infiltration around frames), the daylight and connection to the outdoors that windows provide is essential for our health and well-being.

Another thing that’s important for our health and well-being is mitigating the accelerating effects of climate change, and super-efficient buildings are the easiest way to do that. However, some commenters worry that constructing zero net energy buildings will mean living with “… tiny little windows, little windows so you can’t see out, can’t see the light,” to quote a recent president.

To keep from being stuck with those “little tiny windows,” we all know some performance boosts like warm edge spacers, thermal breaks, and fourth-surface low-e coatings. Beyond that, talk of triple glazing always raises hackles, but alternative technologies are emerging. LBNL has developed a “thin triple,” inserting a very thin center pane in the thickness of a typical double-pane unit. Vacuum insulated glass and several varieties of dynamic glazing are emerging. While these newer options might be beyond typical project budgets today, glazing is inevitably going to get more complex, and it’s essential to have NFRC keeping track of how all these perform.

For an entire century, architects have dreamed of buildings that are all glass, wall to wall and floor to ceiling, which turns out to be good for magazine covers but not much else. Strategic sizing and placement of glazing to optimize energy as well as comfort, daylight, and views for the occupants will require breaking out of the old all-glass mentality, which itself might require a new generation of architects. To quote Mark Frankel: “That which exists must be possible,” so if you want to see what the Zero Net Energy future looks like, start by checking out the hundreds of ZNE buildings that already exist, and then make your own even better.

Information on some of the new technologies may be found in the NFRC "Emerging Trends and Technology" webinar series. Visit the NFRC store for the titles and access to the webinars. 

 

Tags:  architecture  building code  buildings  carbon footprint  carbon neutral  Emerging TrendsNFRC ratings  energy efficient  Fenestration  industry  Seattle  technologies  window technologies  windows 

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From the Classroom to the Boardroom – Meet Ravi Srinivasan, Member of the NFRC Board of Directors
Posted By Adriana Vargas, National Fenestration Rating Council, Tuesday, July 7, 2020
Updated: Tuesday, July 7, 2020

How long have you been involved with NFRC? And In what capacity have you been involved?

I have been involved with NFRC as a member of ANS Committee in 2012 - 2014 and from 2017 to date. Subsequently, I had a short stint as a member of the Board of Directors at NFRC in 2015 - 2016. During this time, I was a member of NFRC Audit Committee. I was elected to the Board again in 2019. Currently, I serve as the Secretary of the Executive Board at NFRC as well as a member of NFRC Governance Committee.

What do you hope to accomplish while in a leadership position on the board?

As a leader, my first and foremost goal is to uphold NFRC’s fair, uniform, and independent fenestration energy efficiency rating and labeling programs that aid customers to make informed purchase decisions. During my tenure at NFRC’s Board, I would like to accomplish the following: (1) increase innovation through active participation and continued encouragement and support to fenestration industry and U.S. national laboratories; (2) improve the visibility and dissemination of NFRC’s contribution to sustainability; and (3) inspire young minds to actively participate in NFRC’s vision.

How has your membership and involvement with NFRC helped you professionally?

As a current University of Florida Faculty Senator and a future faculty administrator, I see many parallels in my administrative responsibility and duties as the Secretary of NFRC Executive Board. My membership and involvement with NFRC in past and current roles have continuously shaped my decision-making for the greater good.

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

Some of the biggest changes with NFRC I see are encouraging and adapting new innovative fenestration technologies toward achieving superior energy efficiency. Yet, these innovations, although complex in science, needs to be brought down to already established energy performance ratings for widespread use. That said, NFRC continuously encourages complex innovation, yet provides customers to make informed decisions. In this regard, I would say that NFRC exemplifies the dynamicity of the fenestration industry. One technology in particular is VIG (Vacuum-Insulating Glazing).

How has the industry evolved in that same time period?

The American fenestration industry is an active ensemble cast with a common goal of, among others, improving energy efficiency. In this sense, NFRC and the fenestration industry have mutually evolved toward achieving sustainable harmony. An example of the fenestration industry improving energy efficiency in buildings and homes has been implementing new codes that increase efficiencies in these areas.

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

Being involved with NFRC, I have gained a balanced knowledge of fenestration science and market opportunities. I have noticed scores of young, diverse professionals attending NFRC’s Spring and Fall membership meetings. NFRC needs the active participation of these beautiful minds with real-world problem-solving skills. “Every drop makes an ocean,” an old saying, is self-explanatory. I find that my students do have an interest in the industry. In Fall 2019, two University of Florida graduate students, Farah Akiely and Vikram Ganesan, presented at NFRC’s September 23 Green Track meeting in Charlotte on drones accelerating the future of fenestration testing. I am working with Jessica Finn at NFRC on a new student membership. Architecture-Engineering-Construction Students are motivated to work towards efficiency and fenestration being one of the most important components.

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

I would emphatically say that NFRC is the Standard Bearer of American Fenestration Energy Efficiency and Innovation.

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

As an active researcher in building energy and sustainability, I follow developments in building envelope and fenestration technologies that improve overall energy efficiency. I anticipate the fenestration industry taking an active, commanding role in creating novel components of fenestration that when combined with other building systems would aid in hyper energy-efficient buildings in 10 years.

Nonetheless, in 20 years, I envisage no clear demarcation between individual components of a building, but rather a unified coalesce of multiple components in a very few finite components or innovations that would achieve ten-fold increase in energy efficiencies! Essentially, it becomes a shared goal not just one industry anymore. That said, it is critical that the American fenestration industry, now, breaks the silos and collaborates with other stakeholders in construction to jointly create innovative systems. Embracing radical change is the call of the day.

Where will NFRC be during that same time frame?

NFRC, with inputs from the American fenestration industry, will not only continue to establish and maintain objective fenestration energy performance ratings but will also lead any such transitions through larger collaborative initiatives, tools, and educational resources. 

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

I see myself, in Gandhi’s own words, “ … be the change I wish to see in the world.” In concert with my intellectual growth, I see teaching and scholarship as opportunities to instill the necessary mindset, and mental faculties, in the young minds that will face and shape the ever-changing, complex environment.

What hobbies or outside activities are you involved in?                                                   

I love to spend time with my wife and son (the two most influential people in my life). My near-term goal is to become an FAA Certified Private Pilot which will allow me to fly measurement instruments to gather data related to building structure and to develop measures to reduce overall energy use in this changing climate. One of the largest challenges in building science research is how do you collect the properties and conditions of building envelope of a cluster of existing buildings or, say, the entire city? And how do we collect the data for those buildings within a short timeframe and acceptable accuracy? Currently, we have commenced testing using drones and, once we have learned the process better, the next step is to use small aircraft so that we can do this data collection in an efficient manner and at large scale such that we can use the data to suggest building energy policy changes to city or county officials.

Tags:  architecture  board of directors  energy efficient  fenestration  glazing  sustainability 

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About Us

The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) is the trusted, independent, nonprofit certification body for the energy performance of windows, doors, and skylights. With more than 35 years of expertise, NFRC is the standard-bearer in fenestration performance certification, providing the public with objective data that helps stakeholders make informed decisions about product and building performance. NFRC certification ensures that products are tested using precise, scientifically validated methods, resulting in ratings that are fair, accurate and credible. Contact us at info@nfrc.org.

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