The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) is always looking for insight from industry experts to improve its programs.
What are some of the business challenges you're facing during 2013, and how can NFRC's programs help you overcome them?
Let us know here, or contact Tom Herron, NFRC's Senior Manager, Communications & Marketing.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Let NFRC Help Educate Your Customers
The
National Fenestration Rating Council's (NFRC) consumer-oriented website
is helping consumers make more educated choices when purchasing
fenestration products. It provides non-technical explanations to
technical questions and offers a number of links for those seeking more detailed information.
Give your business a boost by sending your customers here.
What do you think of NFRC's consumer-oriented website? Post your comments here.
Give your business a boost by sending your customers here.
What do you think of NFRC's consumer-oriented website? Post your comments here.
Friday, November 30, 2012
NFRC Seats New BOD Members, Establishes New Executive Committee
The National Fenestration Rating
Council (NFRC) has officially seated its newest Board members for the 2013 term
and also approved the members of its new Executive Committee.
Each of the following Board members has been seated to serve a three-year term.
Each of the following Board members has been seated to serve a three-year term.
- Sneh Kumar, Kawneer, an
Alcoa Company - Fenestration Industry Category
(Specified) A manufacturer who sells the majority of its fenestration
products or systems for use in commercial construction.
- Jeff Baker, WESTLab Canada - Laboratory Category.
- Mahabir Bhandari, Oak Ridge National Laboratory -
General Interest (non- specified).
- Gary Curtis, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance - General Interest (specified). A not-for-profit consumer, environmental, energy efficiency, or other public interest organization.
NFRC’s new Executive Committee will consist of the
following members:
- Chair -- Steve Strawn, JELD-WEN
- Vice-Chair – Jeff Baker, WestLab Canada
- Secretary – Steve Farrar, Guardian Industries
- Treasurer – Sneh Kumar, Kawneer, an Alcoa Company
- Previous Chair – Joe Hayden, Pella
- Ombudsman – Jim Krahn, Cardinal Glass
“NFRC is fortunate to have assembled such a talented
group of professionals whose skills and contributions will make our
organization even stronger,” said NFRC’s CEO, Jim Benney. “The individual
commitment each one of them brings to our shared cause forms a distinguished
group that positions NFRC to assist its stakeholders in reaching their goals
during 2013 and beyond.”
Monday, November 12, 2012
Update on NFRC's IVP Program
The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) has been working for almost 3 years to create the NFRC 713 program document that will administer the IVP to verify ENERGY STAR® qualified products’ energy performance. NFRC used the results from the IVP pilot program and comments from the NFRC participants to modify the NFRC 713 and believes this draft provides a fair process for all NFRC entities.
NFRC participants are encouraged to download the NFRC 713 document for review from the IVP web page.
To assist with the review, the following are some of the modifications from the draft of the NFRC 713 distributed in March:
• The IVP
is now completely separate from the NFRC 700.
• The IVP fee is separate from the NFRC participation fee per NFRC 704-2013.
• The IVP is for ENERGY STAR Partners only and use to verify ENERGY STAR qualified products.
• The only verification test is a thermal test performed in accordance with NFRC 102 and is the only value verification used for EPA evaluation.
• The destructive test has been removed as a verification test; however, it is still performed by the lab for comparison and evaluation purposes.
• ENERGY STAR Partners are required to inform NFRC which ENERGY STAR qualified product lines are sold as ENERGY STAR products. NFRC is developing an online tool for participants to use which will be available shortly.
• There is no grading against NFRC energy performance criteria and labeling. The grading and tolerances in the NFRC 713 are for EPA requirements only.
• The multi-tiered corrective actions and fines are no longer applicable to the program.
• Language was introduced for scenarios when results from the verification testing are questionable and may not be under the purview of the participant’s performance, but the Inspection Agency, laboratory, or other entity.
• The IVP fee is separate from the NFRC participation fee per NFRC 704-2013.
• The IVP is for ENERGY STAR Partners only and use to verify ENERGY STAR qualified products.
• The only verification test is a thermal test performed in accordance with NFRC 102 and is the only value verification used for EPA evaluation.
• The destructive test has been removed as a verification test; however, it is still performed by the lab for comparison and evaluation purposes.
• ENERGY STAR Partners are required to inform NFRC which ENERGY STAR qualified product lines are sold as ENERGY STAR products. NFRC is developing an online tool for participants to use which will be available shortly.
• There is no grading against NFRC energy performance criteria and labeling. The grading and tolerances in the NFRC 713 are for EPA requirements only.
• The multi-tiered corrective actions and fines are no longer applicable to the program.
• Language was introduced for scenarios when results from the verification testing are questionable and may not be under the purview of the participant’s performance, but the Inspection Agency, laboratory, or other entity.
NFRC is requesting participants to forward any comments on the program document by November 26th to NFRC staff at ivp@nfrc.org.
NFRC continues to review the processes within the pilot program, and once these processes and the comments from NFRC participants are analyzed, the intent is for NFRC staff to present a final version (and implementation plan) to the NFRC Board of Directors for approval. It is our goal to begin implementing this phase of the IVP by January 1, 2013.
Monday, November 5, 2012
NFRC's Board of Directors Election Results
The National Fenestration Rating Council's
(NFRC) Board of Directors election for the 2013 term is complete, and here are
the results:
Each of the following members has been elected to a three-year term:
Each of the following members has been elected to a three-year term:
- Sneh Kumar, Traco - Fenestration Industry Category (Specified) A manufacturer who sells the majority of its fenestration products or systems for use in commercial construction.
- Jeff Baker, WESTLab Canada - Laboratory Category.
- Mahabir Bhandari, Oak Ridge National Laboratory - General Interest (non- specified).
- Gary Curtis, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance - General Interest (specified). A not-for-profit consumer, environmental, energy efficiency, or other public interest organization.
“I am pleased to welcome this
accomplished, experienced group whose talent and enthusiasm will carry our
organization forward," said NFRC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jim
Benney. “We've always had an effective and dynamic Board that brings people and
ideas together to further the cause we are all passionate about, and I'm
looking forward to working more closely with all of them.”
NFRC recommends checking your spam folder regularly for useful correspondence. Visit our website for quick and easy access to our newsletters and bulletins.
NFRC recommends checking your spam folder regularly for useful correspondence. Visit our website for quick and easy access to our newsletters and bulletins.
Friday, November 2, 2012
NFRC Offers Volunteer Opportunities
The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) offers a variety of volunteer opportunities. Current openings include the following:
Access NFRC's Product Certification Program (PCP) bulletins here.
- The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) American National Standards (ANS) Committee is in particular need of participation from those representing the “User” and “General Interest” categories. Information on this committee, the interest categories, and applications may be found here. Contact Robin Merrifield at 240-821-9513 with questions or to request an application.
- The Bright Day Illuminance Task Group is seeking members. Contact Ray McGowan, NFRC's Senior Manager, Programs at 240-821-9510 for details.
- The Daylighting Potential Rating Procedure Task Group is seeking members. Contact Ray McGowan, NFRC's Senior Manager, Programs, at 240-821-9510 for details.
Access NFRC's Product Certification Program (PCP) bulletins here.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Representatives Seek Restoration of Tax Credits for Fenestration Products
Recent legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives seeks to restore the Section 25C tax credits for energy efficient fenestration products.
The credit, which expired at the end of 2011, was reintroduced under The Home Energy Savings Act (H.R. 6398) by Representatives Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.) and Richard Neal (D-Mass.).
Many industry experts believe the Section 25C tax credit would help stimulate jobs while enabling homeowners to save money by reducing their energy consumption. Others support the tax credit as facilitating the sale of higher-performing fenestration products.
According to WDMA, the new bill would initially extend the credit at the 2011 levels of 10 percent (up to $200) for windows and skylights and 10 percent (up to $500) for doors through 2013. Beginning in 2014, the credit would expand to 10 percent (up to $1,000) for all qualifying products, including ENERGY STAR® windows, doors, and skylights. Beginning in 2014, installation costs would also be eligible for the credit.
WDMA further states that data from the Internal Revenue Service shows the Section 25C tax credit helped Americans invest over $25 billion in remodeling and efficiency upgrades during 2009.
Should the restoration of the tax credits take place, the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) will assist the public in understanding how to use it to their advantage when purchasing fenestration products. NFRC will accomplish this by creating fact sheets and providing additional resources for the public to acquire all the details they need.
Details
The credit, which expired at the end of 2011, was reintroduced under The Home Energy Savings Act (H.R. 6398) by Representatives Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.) and Richard Neal (D-Mass.).
Many industry experts believe the Section 25C tax credit would help stimulate jobs while enabling homeowners to save money by reducing their energy consumption. Others support the tax credit as facilitating the sale of higher-performing fenestration products.
According to WDMA, the new bill would initially extend the credit at the 2011 levels of 10 percent (up to $200) for windows and skylights and 10 percent (up to $500) for doors through 2013. Beginning in 2014, the credit would expand to 10 percent (up to $1,000) for all qualifying products, including ENERGY STAR® windows, doors, and skylights. Beginning in 2014, installation costs would also be eligible for the credit.
WDMA further states that data from the Internal Revenue Service shows the Section 25C tax credit helped Americans invest over $25 billion in remodeling and efficiency upgrades during 2009.
Should the restoration of the tax credits take place, the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) will assist the public in understanding how to use it to their advantage when purchasing fenestration products. NFRC will accomplish this by creating fact sheets and providing additional resources for the public to acquire all the details they need.
Details
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