CEC Releases Draft Language of Building Energy Code Update for Public Comment

According to the Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP), the California Energy Commission (CEC) has prepared draft language for its update to the state building energy code.

The draft represents a 30 percent energy savings over the current 2008 Building Energy Efficiency Standards (BEES).

On February 24, the draft was made available for a 45-day public comment period. Public hearings in Sacramento are slated for March 12, 13, and 15 as needed. The full CEC adoption hearing is scheduled for April 11.

The targeted date for final adoption is October 2012 with the standards becoming effective on January 1, 2014.

Details

IVP Documents Available, NFRC Seeks Input from Participants

In order to meet the requirements as a recognized EPA Certification Body (CB), the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) is introducing the Independent Verification Program (IVP) as an enhancement to the NFRC 700 Product Certification Program (PCP).

The IVP will verify ENERGY STAR® qualified and NFRC rated fenestration products sold in the market are consistent with the products listed in the NFRC Certified Products Directory (CPD) with procedures that complement the inspection and validation testing requirements of the NFRC PCP. All NFRC participants are required to participate in the IVP, whether or not the participant is an ENERGY STAR partner.

NFRC has been working for close to 2 years to create the NFRC 713 program document that will administer the IVP. NFRC has also been taking many steps to ensure the IVP is an enhancement to the NFRC PCP. Since late 2011the IVP pilot program has been underway allowing NFRC to evaluate the IVP processes. In order to provide the funding for the IVP, the NFRC Board of Directors approved major changes to NFRC program fees and membership dues schedule. The 2012 fee schedule uses a flat dues structure for membership and a sliding scale for program participation fees creating a more fair and equitable system for NFRC participants.

Once approved by the NFRC Board of Directors, the NFRC 713 IVP program document is scheduled for implementation in January 2013. NFRC anticipates that the enhancements to the IVP will allow NFRC to remove the requirement to validate products lines when recertified. This will decrease costs for program participants by reducing recertification expenses.

NFRC participants are encouraged to download the following documents for review from the IVP web page:

       - IVP Program Document NFRC 713 (DRAFT)
       - IVP Compliance Flowchart
       - IVP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The NFRC is requesting participants to provide comments on the program documents by forwarding all correspondence to NFRC staff at ivp@nfrc.org. NFRC will present a summary of the comments and answer questions about the IVP at an open forum during the March committee week meeting. The forum is scheduled for Wednesday morning prior to the NFRC Board of Directors meeting.

Tax Credit for Homeowners May Help Offset Cost of Windows

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers a tax credit for certain qualified home energy improvements implemented during 2011.

One of these tax credits is known as The Non-business Energy Property Credit. Qualifying improvements include energy-efficient exterior windows and doors. Installation costs do not qualify.  

The 2011 credit for homeowners is 10 percent of the cost of qualified energy-efficient improvements, up to $500.

Qualifying improvements must have been placed into service in the taxpayer’s principal residence located in the United States before Jan. 1, 2012.

Those applying for this credit should have the manufacturer’s tax credit certification statement. This may be available on the manufacturer’s website, or it may have been included in the product packaging.

If you’re eligible, you can claim this credit on Form 5695, Residential Energy Credits when you file your 2011 federal income tax return. This form is available at www.irs.gov.

Please note that this is a tax credit, not a deduction, so it will generally reduce the amount of tax owed dollar for dollar.

Details

McGowan, Fisher Present CMA to ICC in Southern Nevada

Ray McGowan, Senior Program Manager, at the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) led a presentation of the Component Modeling Approach (CMA) Program during the EduCode show at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas last night.

The presentation explained how code officials can implement CMA to determine building energy code compliance.

Fenestration industry expert, Frank Fisher, assisted McGowan in the presentation. Fisher pointed out that while the application of CMA is aimed primarily at non residential buildings, its fundamentals can be applied to residential single family and multi-family homes.

Details on the CMA program

CMAST Update Available February 27

Dear Valued CMAST User:

Thank you for your support of the Component Modeling Approach (CMA) Program. The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) is pleased to announce a new release to the CMAST client. The new release will be available on Monday, February 27, 2012.

This release (1.2.02) addresses the system-wide issue with calculation speed. The CMA Webserver and client will be unavailable from 8:00 p.m. EST Friday, February 24, 2012 through Monday, February 27, 2012 at 8:00 a.m. EST so the new client can be pushed to the Webserver.

Please make sure you have synced all your data prior to Friday, February 24, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. EST to ensure its availability after the new client has been downloaded and installed.

On Monday, February 27, 2012, you will need to uninstall the old client (1.2.00). Then, log in to the Webserver and download and install the new client version 1.2.02. Finally, you’ll need to sync.

Once completed, you should be able to work as before, but with some improved performance. Should you have any issues please feel free to fill out a CMA Support Form and contact CMA support.

Contact Jen Padgett at 240-821-9515 with questions.

NFRC Board Member Farrar to Present CMA to ICC

Representatives from the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) are collaborating with industry veteran Frank Fisher and NFRC Board of Directors member, Steve Farrar, to present the Component Modeling Approach (CMA) Program on Monday, February 27.

The 60-90-minute-long presentation begins at 5:00 p.m. and will take place during the International Code Council’s (ICC) EduCode show, which will be held at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas from Monday, February 27 until Friday, March 2.

If you are attending the event, please be sure to join us. Contact NFRC’s Senior Manager, Communications and Marketing, Tom Herron at 240-821-9505 for details.

Corning Lands First Commercial Order for Innovative Product

According to a recent Web article, Corning Incorporated has created solar photovoltaic glass that it says is lighter, more efficient, and stronger than thin-film solar modules. The company is reporting that it just received its first commercial order for the product.

The order is the culmination of three years of development and test marketing.

Corning also says the photovoltaic glass can increase current thin-film module efficiency by as much as 30 percent. Additionally, it is promoted as being 50 times stronger with less than half the thickness of the glass commonly used today in thin-film PV modules. 

NFRC welcomes your thoughts on this topic.

Read the article here