2025 Fall Membership Speaker Profiles
Click here to view the Fall Meeting Schedule Reinforcing NFRC: Best Practices for Energy Professionals & Contractors
Join industry leaders Tai Mahmutti, President of Beroa Engineering, and Hugo Ramirez, Vice President of Adler Windows and President of IIBEC Metro, for a candid fireside chat that bridges engineering design with manufacturing and field installation. Together, they will connect NFRC ratings to real-world outcomes—energy savings, code compliance, and better-built buildings—through practical case studies. Tai will highlight how NFRC ratings should be integrated into design decisions and compliance workflows, while Hugo will demonstrate how those choices play out in the shop and on the jobsite.
This session will walk through real project scenarios, including both successes and lessons learned, offering actionable takeaways to save money, reduce callbacks, and improve occupant comfort. Attendees will gain clear strategies for applying NFRC ratings across residential and commercial projects, field-tested QA/QC practices, simple ways to communicate NFRC’s value to owners and homeowners, and insights on aligning with evolving policy and code drivers like LL97.
 Hugo Ramirez
Tai Mahmuti, PE, QEWI, QPSI
Barriers to the adoption of high-performance façades in non-residential and multifamily buildings: Introducing a blueprint for market transformation
This presentation shares the results of a year-long study by the Façade Tectonics Institute for the U.S. DOE on barriers to adopting high-performance façades and fenestration in new construction and retrofits. It highlights a blueprint for transformation
developed with input from owners, architects, engineers, contractors, fabricators, and suppliers. If implemented, this blueprint could accelerate adoption of high-performance solutions. DOE has already funded the first step: developing guidelines
for what constitutes high-performance façades.
Helen Sanders
Helen Sanders, PhD, is a general Manager at Technoform North America. She has more than 25 years of experience in glass technology, market development and manufacturing, in coatings, insulating glass and thermal zone technology for fenestration.
Sanders has a doctorate in surface science from the University of Cambridge.
She is an active member of many industry organizations and in codes and standards development. She is the founding president of the Façade Tectonics
Institute (FTI) and is currently the immediate past president; she is a board member of the Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA), co-chair of its Glass Products Council, and of its Innovation and Sustainability Steering
Committees; and a technical liaison on the National Glass Association’s Fabricating Committee; and Board member of the National Fenestration Rating Council.
Shaping the Future of Fenestration: UF’s Research & Certificate Program
Dr. Ravi Srinivasan, Associate Dean for Research & Strategic Initiatives at the University of Florida, is launching a new initiative that pairs an online certificate program in fenestration with expanded research capabilities. The 12-credit
program, co-developed with industry, covers fundamentals through advanced fenestration systems and building energy modeling. UF is also establishing a dedicated Fenestration Research Laboratory, inviting industry partners to collaborate in
advancing innovation.
Dr. Ravi Srinivasan
Dr. Ravi Srinivasan, Associate Dean for Research and Strategic Initiatives, the University of Florida
Dr. Srinivasan holds a M.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida and M.S. and a Ph.D. from the University
of Pennsylvania. He is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM), LEED Accredited Professional and a FAA Certified Remote (Drone) Pilot. He has served as PI and Co-PI on projects funded by external sponsored agencies including National Science
Foundation (NSF), U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and U.S. Veteran Affairs (VA).
Promises and Potential Risks of Vacuum Insulating Glass
Vacuum Insulating Glass (VIG) has the potential to revolutionize energy efficient building design by offering glazing approaches that rival the thermal performance of the opaque building envelope. Historically, energy efficient building design
often implied decreased window to wall ratio. The performance of emerging VIG products has the potential invert this situation and align energy efficient construction practices with current market desires for increased glazing. However, concerns
remain regarding the potential durability of VIG as failure has the potential to dramatically decrease performance. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been conducting research into the durability of emerging glazing technologies
for over 40 years. This presentation will focus on recent durability research related to VIG. This current effort is being conducted with robust manufacturer engagement and an eye toward defining newly developing standards. Topics to be covered
include baseline performance of VIG as well as a summary of durability and failure modes of concern. In particular how those concerns may change as VIG units scale to larger and larger sizes.
Robert Tenent
Robert Tenent leads fenestration research efforts at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). NREL has provided supporting research to the glass and fenestration industries for well over 40 years with a heavy focus on emerging
technologies. His research in building technologies cuts across multiple organizations within NREL including early-stage technology development, building energy modeling, techno-economic analysis and field demonstration efforts.
He received a B.S. in Chemistry from Millsaps College in Jackson, MS (1994) and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Mississippi State University (2000). He also currently serves on the NFRC Board of Directors as well as holds positions related
to fenestration technologies under ASTM and ISO.
WINDOW and THERM 8.1 – The Next Generation of Window Modeling Tools
WINDOW and THERM have a long history, beginning in 1982 with the first version called therm1d. WINDOW 3.1, released in 1988, became the first version suitable for production use. In 1994, NFRC adopted WINDOW 4.1 and FRAME 3.0 as official certified simulation tools, which were widely used for several years. Later, WINDOW 5 and THERM 2.1 introduced MS Windows versions that evolved into the current 7.8 releases, adding advanced features like shading system modeling. Despite these updates, the core structure of both programs has remained largely unchanged since the early 2000s. WINDOW and THERM 8.1 now mark the next generation, offering more efficient modeling capabilities, with this presentation highlighting new features and future developments.
![]() Dr. Charlie Curcija
Dr. Charlie Curcija is a scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the Building Technologies and Urban Systems Division, leading the research in thermal and optical performance of windows and other fenestration systems. Dr. Curcija earned his B.S.M.E at University of Belgrade in 1982 and Ph.D. at the University of Massachusetts in the field of thermal performance of windows in 1992. Dr. Curcija worked at the University of Massachusetts from 1992 until 2010, eventually leading the Building Energy Efficiency Program at the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. He has been working in the area of energy performance of buildings and building facades for over 40 years.
Simplified Installation to Accelerate High-Performance Window Market Penetration
Our innovative ‘Window Installation Kit’ addresses critical issues such as energy loss, moisture infiltration, and high labor costs. Featuring a quick-install in an envelope rough opening to adopt window installation. The kit ensures a self-plumbed, squared installation in any rough opening. It also eliminates laborious steps like flashing wraps, caulking, and trim installation. Our solution significantly enhances installation speed and quality. Its adaptable design is ideal for new, retrofit, and modular constructions, paving the way for the penetration of more energy-efficient windows in buildings.
![]() Dr. Mahabir Bhandari
Dr. Mahabir Bhandari is a Senior R&D Scientist at ORNL’s Building Technology Research and Integration Center and a recognized expert in building energy performance. His research spans building energy simulation, fenestration product development, the integration of cutting-edge energy-efficient building technologies, and the deployment of combined heat and power (CHP) systems. Dr. Bhandari currently serves as a board member of the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) and the Attachment Energy Rating Council (AERC). He served as the immediate past chair of ASHRAE’s TC 4.5 Fenestration and was an NFRC Certified Simulator for more than 20 years.
|
