W&D Weekly - October 10, 2007 | Vol 2, Num 40
(Print All Articles)
DOE Reveals Possible Revisions to
Energy Star Requirements
The DOE has officially announced intentions to set new requirements for window, door and skylight manufacturers...
The U.S. Department of Energy has sent a letter to stakeholders in the Energy Star windows, doors and skylights program officially announcing it is beginning a criteria review and revision process to set new requirements for products to carry the Energy Star label.
In the October 9 letter, Richard Karney, Energy Star program manager, notes that DOE is considering a variety of adjustments to the criteria. These include:
- a substantially lower U-factor in Northern zones (initial target range: 0.20-0.30)
- a minimum SHGC in the North to capture winter solar heat gain
- a substantially lower SHGC in southern zones (initial target range: 0.20-0.30)
- an insulating glass unit certification requirement
- the addition of minimum VT criteria to ensure adequate light
- a change in Energy Star climate zones to align them more closely with those in the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code
- allowing SHGC/U-factor trade-offs in both the north and south to expand range of products
- exploring emerging technologies such as dynamic glazings
- the establishment of installation procedures to ensure performance.
“For its initial analysis, DOE is currently gathering data to determine what levels of energy performance are possible with the current technologies, the costs and technologies required to achieve various levels of performance, and the energy savings that higher performance products could deliver,” Karney writes. “DOE is also evaluating the potential impacts of proposed changes.”
The tentative timeline for the revision process includes an initial analysis scheduled to be concluded in December and distributed. A stakeholder meeting will be held in February 2008, with finalized criteria announced in March 2008. The earliest effective date for the new requirements is January 1, 2009.
Karney concludes by noting that the Department of Energy welcomes information about product availability and marginal cost. Input can be provided by contacting Emily Zachery at D&R International via e-mail at ezachery@drintl.com or by phone at 301-588-9387.
Questions? Comments? Please email us and share your thoughts...
FMA Meets in Daytona
The Fenestration Manufacturers Association gathered last week with window installation demonstrations, 2007 Florida code changes, HVAC education and energy efficiency updates at the top of the agenda...
The Fenestration Manufacturers Association gathered in Daytona Beach, Fla., last week with window installation demonstrations, 2007 Florida code changes, HVAC education and energy efficiency updates at the top of the agenda. Manufacturers, suppliers and distributors to the Southeast region of the country gathered for the three-day event.
FMA attendees got a first-hand look at new installation standards in action.
Fresh on the heels of recently released FMA/AAMA 100 installation guidelines for wood-frame construction and FMA/AAMA 200 guidelines for installing windows in masonry construction, attendees watched live demonstrations of windows being installed into each type of opening.
To educate window and door manufacturers and suppliers on how fenestration works with HVAC systems, Bob Cochell, founder of an HVAC company in Florida, Gulf Coast Air Systems, and a member of Florida’s energy technical advisory committee, gave a crash course on the engineering behind moderating the temperature and humidity in a building. “My life is totally dependant on you guys,” he said to attendees. “Whatever windows you put in, I’ve got to design my system to match.”
The heat in a home, Cochell explained, is a combination of the dry bulb thermometer temperature and the moisture or humidity in the air. When low-E windows reduce the dry temperature, or sensible heat, the HVAC system must deal with the humidity, or latent heat, to maintain a comfortable ratio. “The house will not perform correctly if the ratio is not correct,” he said.
Cochell recommended that window producers and distributors work more closely with HVAC teams so adjustments in the performance of the window package can be matched with adjustments to the central cooling system, especially in replacement projects. An upgrade to higher performing, better insulating windows in a retrofit project may call for a whole-house dehumidifier to cut back on the sticky latent heat.
Keynote speaker Marc LaFrance, technology development manager for the U.S. Department of Energy, gave attendees an update of zero-energy goals the government is supporting with a research and development program for emerging technologies. He didn’t speak extensively on the current re-evaluation of the Energy Star program—which will likely include higher standards for labeling windows as Energy Star—but did say his colleagues at the DOE want to take the program to a higher level. The earliest effective date for potentially re-vamped certification requirements for Energy Star, he reported, would be at the start of 2009.
At the request of several Daytona Beach meeting attendees from Louisiana, the FMA board is planning to hold its spring meeting in the New Orleans area. Some building officials from Louisiana approached FMA requesting the association host an educational seminar for housing officials on what’s happening in the code arena for coastal areas and demonstrations of the installation standards. The board agreed, and organizers expect to have plans for the meeting nailed down in the next few weeks.
The association’s incoming board of directors will be Freddie Cole of General Aluminum, president; Mike Westfall of Jeld-Wen, vice-president; Roland Temple of PGT Industries, secretary; Robert Amoruso of Florida Extruders International, treasurer; and members at large Heath Cobb of WinDoor Inc., Jim Connery of Sika Corp., Mike LaFevre of Custom Window Systems, Rhonda Schotz of Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co., Jim Krahn of Marvin Windows & Doors, Jim Puckett of Atrium Cos., and Ivan Zuniga of AGC Flat Glass North America.
For more information about the association or upcoming meetings, visit www.fmausaonline.org.
Questions? Comments? Email us and share your thoughts...
AAMA Meeting to Feature
Hurricane Simulator Demonstration
A live, full-scale demonstration of the U. of Fla.'s hurricane simulator will highlight AAMA's national fall conference next week. It is designed to show the real-world effects of hurricane-force winds and wind-driven rain on a structure...
A live, full-scale demonstration of the University of Florida’s new hurricane simulator will highlight the national fall conference of the American Architectural Manufacturers Association next week. The simulator is designed to show the real-world effects of hurricane-force winds and wind-driven rain on a structure, enabling researchers to learn more about how hurricanes damage real homes and how to modify windows, doors, walls and other building materials to best prevent that damage.
Said to be the world’s largest portable simulator of its kind, the apparatus is mounted on a trailer and composed of eight 5-foot-high industrial fans powered by four marine engines that collectively produce 2,800 horsepower. It is designed to blast building mock-ups with winds of up to 130 mph—Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale—and high-pressure water jets that mimic torrential wind-driven rain up to 35 inches/hour.
Video showing the simulator is available on the University of Florida’s Web site (click here).
Dr. Forrest Masters, assistant professor of civil and coastal engineering at the University of Florida, who heads up the hurricane simulator project will lead the demonstration and discuss how tests are performed and how they lead to better understanding of hurricanes and their impact on buildings.
AAMA is one of the supporters of the research project and Rich Walker, the organization’s president and CEO, will discuss how the industry will benefit from these efforts. “The information gathered will help us ensure performance of the windows, doors and wall assemblies under real-world hurricane conditions, and ultimately, protect more people and properties from costly damages,” he states.
AAMA’s fall conference is being held October 14-17 at J.W. Marriott Grande Lakes Resort in Orlando, Fla. The demonstration, opened to meeting attendees, building code officials and the media, is scheduled for October 16 at 5 p.m. It will be held in a field across from the hotel’s tennis courts. More information about the meeting is available at
Questions? Comments? Email us and share your thoughts...
Sage in the Running for DOE Funds
Sage Electrochromics is eligible for the next round of evaluation for possible funding from the DOE's loan guarantee program...
Sage Electrochromics is eligible for the next round of evaluation for possible funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s loan guarantee program. The tintable smart glass producer plans to develop a manufacturing facility in Minnesota that would produce energy efficient windows for the commercial and residential market if it gets a piece of the loan program’s $2 billion pie.
“Loan guarantees aim to stimulate investment and commercialization of clean energy technologies to reduce our nation’s reliance on foreign sources of energy,” says Samuel Bodman, Secretary of Energy. “Finalizing this regulation for the department’s loan guarantee program puts Americans one step closer to being able to use new and novel sources of energy on a mass scale to reduce emissions and allow for vigorous economic growth and increased energy security.”
The loan program was authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, but the DOE just recently announced the final regulations for the program. Sixteen project sponsors that submitted pre-applications last fall, including Sage Electrochromics, were asked to submit full applications for the loan guarantees.
Eligible projects must employ new or significantly improved technologies that support clean air initiatives compared to currently available commercial technologies. The DOE will likely grant up to $2 billion in loan guarantees. The interested finalists will now undergo extensive reviews as part of the full application process.
For more information, visit www.lgprogram.energy.gov.
Questions? Comments? Email us and share your thoughts...
- When Purchasing Home Products, Consumers Get Greener with Age
from NPD.com - Housing Slump Snags Spending
on Home Improvements
from Nation's Building News - Home Heating Bills on the Rise
from CNNMoney.com
...
When Purchasing Home Products, Consumers Get Greener with Age
from NPD.com
According to a new report from The NPD Group, Inc., leading provider of consumer and retail information, nearly two-thirds (64%) of consumers surveyed believe it is important to purchase environmentally-friendly products for their homes. Additionally, the report shows purchasing "green-related" home products becomes more important to consumers as they get older... read more
Housing Slump Snags Spending on Home Improvements
from Nation's Building News
The current housing downturn is starting to take a noticeable toll on remodeling expenditures for home improvements, according to the latest forecast for the industry from economists at NAHB, although the weakness will be offset to some extent by the growing demand for projects to patch and spruce up homes so that they are more attractive to potential buyers in a slow market... read more
Home Heating Bills on the Rise
from CNNMoney.com
No matter how you heat your house, this year will cost you more than last, according to a government report Tuesday. Hardest hit will be those who use oil heat. Due mostly to higher crude prices, nationwide-average oil heating bills are expected to be 22 percent higher this winter than last winter, according to the Energy Information Agency. About 7 percent of all Americans heat their home with oil, mostly in the Northeast... read more