CMA Subcommittee Works Toward New Version of Label Certificate

The Component Modeling Approach (CMA) Ratings Subcommittee met late this afternoon and discussed a ballot concerning the NFRC 705, which addresses various requests to make the label certificate more useful and representative.

The CMA Labeling Task Group (TG) developed a new version of the label certificate, which was modified to group products into categories that correspond to ASHRAE 90.1 and IECC. Modifications also include an area-weighted average for product category groups and for entire projects.

One member posed a negative, stating disapproval of basing the area-weighted average for code compliance on actual size. The concern here is that this could result in substantially different average values than taking the average of values determined through NFRC 100 and NFRC 200, which most codes reference.

A motion to find this negative persuasive and substantive and to return it to TG for further passed, 28-8.

Another negative that arose suggested that the proposed label changes incorporate product categories (metal and non-metal) that add complexity and are unnecessary and unwarranted because they perpetuate the framing material bias present in ASHRAE 90.1 and the IECC. The negative also suggested reverting to the previously approved format.

The negative was found persuasive and substantive and carried, 11-7.

A third negative concerned adjusting the ballot language to strongly convey that the ratings on the “Supplemental Product Information” page are not certified. The proposed change would create the words, “Non-Certified Product Information at Actual Size and Area-Weighted Performance Information” in the heading, and the words, “Non-Certified” would be added back to the table header.

The motion passed 24-4.