Greenbuild Toronto Begins Today

The U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Greenbuild show begins today at 5:30 p.m. (ET) at the Metro Toronto Convention Center, and representatives from NFRC will be available in booth T-22 to answer your questions about our activities and programs.

Did you realize that every year more energy escapes from the openings in U.S. buildings than the entire country of Egypt uses in total?

Let NFRC's expert booth staff show you how to interpret the NFRC label so you can better understand window energy performance and its vital role in green and sustainable building.

Exhibit Hall Hours (ET):

Tuesday, October 4: 5:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Wednesday, October 4, 9:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, October 5, 9:00 a.m until 5:30 p.m.

More about Greenbuild

NFRC to Exhibit at Greenbuild in Toronto

Representatives from NFRC will be exhibiting at the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Greenbuild show, October 4-7 at the Metro Toronto Convention Center.

Carrying the theme, "What's NEXT for Green Building," this is the first time the USGBC is hosting Greenbuild outside the United States. 

If you are attending the show, be sure to stop by NFRC's booth, T-22 in the south building so we can answer your questions about our activities and programs.

More information about Greenbuild is available here. 

"Blind" Verification Program Becomes "Independent" Verification Program

The National Fenestration Rating Council’s (NFRC) Blind Verification Program (BVP) has been renamed, and will now be known as the Independent Verification Program (IVP).

In April of this year, NFRC announced that as an approved Certification Body for the ENERGY STAR ® Windows program, it was required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to introduce a Blind Verification Program (BVP) to the NFRC Product Certification Program (PCP).

As you may recall, the BVP required NFRC staff to act as consumers, “blindly” purchasing its participants’ fenestration products without their knowledge.

Since its inception, however, NFRC and EPA have refined the program and determined that the IVP designation describes its purpose more accurately.

One reason for the change from BVP to IVP is that the process NFRC will use to procure fenestration products from manufacturers will no longer be “blind.” Staff and the NFRC Board of Directors have instead created a new process, whereby NFRC will make purchases more directly, negating the “blind” aspect of the process.

A second reason for the elimination of the term “blind” is that the term may be misunderstood by fenestration industry, the fenestration attachment industry, or the public. We wish to avoid any potential communication issues.

NFRC realizes you may have more detailed questions regarding this change. Please contact Stacy Germann at 240-821-9504 or Scott Hanlon at 240-821-9519.

NFRC to Exhibit at NASEO September 12-14

Representatives from the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) will be exhibiting during the National Association of State Energy Officials’ (NASEO) annual meeting, September 12-14.

The event will be held at the Crowne Plaza San Antonio Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas.

The exhibits will be held in the Texas Ballroom Foyer, second floor. The show hours are
Monday, September 12 from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 13 from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 a.m., and Wednesday, September 14 from 7:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.

According to its Website, NASEO is the only national non-profit organization whose membership includes the governor-designated energy officials from each state and territory.

NASEO was formed in 1986 to improve the effectiveness and quality of state energy programs and policies, provide policy input and analysis, share successes among the states, and to be a repository of information on issues of particular concern to the states and their citizens.

NASEO’s members work on a wide range of energy programs and policies, including residential, commercial, and institutional building energy codes.

As your partner in building energy code compliance, NFRC’s representatives will be on hand to answer all your questions about our activities and programs.

Be sure to stop by our booth. We look forward to seeing you.

More Stringent Fenestration Requirements Expected to Show Results in 2013

Over the next few years, facilities managers across the U.S. are expected to notice improved energy efficiency resulting from more stringent energy standards recently adopted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

More stringent fenestration requirements are expected to contribute significantly to this improvement.

The DOE has adopted ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007 as the new federal energy standard, following the determination that it would save more energy than the 2004 version.

By July 20, 2013, states are required to certify that they have reviewed and updated the provisions of their commercial building energy codes, including demonstrating the provisions meet or exceed 90.1-2007.

Additionally, the DOE has issued a ruling requiring federal buildings that begin construction on or before October 11, 2012 meet 90.1-2007.

NFRC's Program Fees, Membership Dues Overhauled

After careful review and consideration, the National Fenestration Rating Council’s (NFRC) Board of Directors recently approved a major change in its program fees and membership dues schedule.

The new schedule uses a flat dues structure for membership and a sliding scale for program participation fees.

The decision to change membership dues was prompted by NFRC’s desire to ensure that all industry members pay the same amount for their “voices and votes,” regardless of their size.

The new PCP fee schedule also more equitably assigns costs and benefits for participating manufacturers. Whether members or non-members, they will pay a fairer share for the programs and benefits that NFRC provides.

NFRC also expects the lower membership dues will encourage non-member participants to join NFRC and add their voices to the development of technical and certification procedures.

Under the new fee schedule:

• Beginning in 2012, all industry members will pay an annual membership fee of $2,000. Members in the General Interest categories will continue to pay $500 per year.

• Label fees and product line fees are eliminated, saving administrative time.

• Program participation fees will be based upon annual sales of fenestration products (see the attached chart).

• Non-members will continue to pay slightly higher additional program participation fees.

While it is anticipated that some industry members and non-members will pay more and some will pay less than they have in the past, it is expected that the new schedule will save everyone  time and money on internal accounting, billing, and management activities.

In addition to creating a more fair and equitable system, the decision to adopt a new revenue model was driven in part by a need to pay for the Blind Verification Program (BVP) that NFRC has agreed to implement.

The BVP will improve the quality of the Product Certification Program and ensures that NFRC Ratings are recognized by the EPA/DOE Energy Star Program. It is anticipated that the BVP will decrease costs for program participants by reducing recertification expenses.

If you have any questions, please contact either NFRC's Membership Manager, Anita Marsh, 240-821-9508 or NFRC's Product Certification Program Associate, Toni Stroud, 240-821-9511.

Please visit NFRC's Website for details.

J.D. Power Reports Growing Desire for Energy Efficient Windows

A recent study by J.D. Power and Associates reports consumer desire for energy-efficient windows and doors has increased over previous years.

The study says the proportion of consumers who purchased ENERGY STAR-qualified windows averaged 95 percent in the most recent study, demonstrating a growing level awareness of and desire for energy-efficient window features and technologies.

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