W&D Weekly - April 16, 2008 | Vol 3, Num 16
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New Joint Venture to Expand Heat Mirror
Unit Production

Southwall Technologies and Sound Solutions Windows & Doors have formed a joint venture to manufacture and sell insulating glass incorporating Southwall’s Heat Mirror film. ...

Southwall Technologies and Sound Solutions Windows & Doors have formed a joint venture to manufacture and sell insulating glass incorporating Southwall’s Heat Mirror film.

The new company—to be known as Southwall Insulating Glass—will be located in Chicago, and is scheduled to begin production later this year. Bruce Lang, vice president of marketing with Southwall, reports the new company is initially focusing on marketing insulating glass to residential replacement window manufacturers.

“It’s a question of timing—initially, we’ll focus on the residential market,” Lang says. “That does not preclude us from going after commercial opportunities as well, and that will be part of the plan.”

Sound Solutions is a Chicago-based manufacturer of windows and doors, started by Ron Spielman, former president of Republic Windows & Doors. "I am a believer in the energy-saving performance of Heat Mirror technology," he notes.

Southwall, which focuses on film and glass products, says the partnership with manufacturer Sound Solutions will mean greater market share and penetration for the Heat Mirror product. "Glass remains the weak link in the performance of the building envelope and is responsible for approximately 30 percent of a building's total carbon emissions," says Dennis Capovilla, Southwall's president. "While higher performance Heat Mirror insulating glass is available today, the cost of manufacturing has limited its widespread adoption. Southwall is committed to bringing Heat Mirror's performance to the mainstream market by establishing lower cost technology that is suitable for high-volume production."

EPA Issues New Lead Paint Rules

The EPA has issued new rules designed to prohibit work practices creating lead hazards ...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued new rules designed to prohibit work practices creating lead hazards in the renovation and repair of pre-1978 housing, child-care facilities and schools.

The "Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting Program" rule, which takes effect in April 2010, includes requirements to implement lead-safe work practices and certification and training for contractors and maintenance professionals. The EPA will also conduct an extensive education and outreach campaign to promote awareness of these new requirements.

Potentially impacting companies involved in window and door replacement and other remodeling projects, the new requirements apply to renovation, repair or painting activities where more than 6 square feet of lead-based paint is disturbed in a room or where 20 square feet of lead-based paint is disturbed on the exterior. Trained contractors must post warning signs, restrict occupants from work areas, contain work areas to prevent dust and debris from spreading, conduct a thorough cleanup, and verify that cleanup was effective.

"While there has been a dramatic decrease over the last two decades in the number of children affected by lead-poisoning, EPA is continuing its efforts to take on this preventable disease," says James Gulliford, EPA's assistant administrator for prevention, pesticides and toxic substances. "[These] new rules will require contractors to be trained and to follow simple but effective lead-safe work practices to protect children from dangerous levels of lead."

More information on the EPA lead program, rules and certification can be obtained at www.epa.gov/lead. Interested parties may call 800/424-5323 for copies of an educational brochure on the new policies.

DOE Sets Date for Energy Star Meeting

The U.S. DOE will discuss changes in the Energy Star Windows, Doors and Skylights program. ...

The U.S. Department of Energy will host its stakeholder meeting to discuss changes in the Energy Star Windows, Doors and Skylights program Thursday, May 22, in Washington, D.C. The meeting is designed to gather industry feedback to DOE plans to introduce more stringent requirements for window, door and skylight products to carry the Energy Star label.

A meeting agenda and DOE’s Initial Criteria Revision Analysis will released before the meeting, with notification sent to all stakeholders registered with DOE that the documents are available for review. Requests to be added to the distribution list can be sent to Alice Dasek at adasek@drintl.com.

Previous criteria revision announcements from DOE can be viewed on the Energy Star Web site.

The May 22nd meeting will be held from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM in Room 1E245 at DOE headquarters. The address is 1000 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20585.

DOE notes that foreign nationals visiting its headquarters are subject to advance security screening procedures, requiring a 30-day advance notice. Foreign nationals that wish to participate in the public meeting are advised to inform DOE as soon as possible by contacting Ms. Brenda Edwards at 202/586-2945 so that the necessary procedures can be completed.

Check Out Window & Door’s New Green
Resource Guide

Window & Door is proud to introduce its new online Green Resource Guide. There you’ll find a quick list of ways windows, doors and skylights can help new and remodeled homes qualify as green, a slideshow of more LEED certified homes, links to green building programs and other green organizations and more. ...

Looking for more information on green? Window & Door is proud to introduce its new online Green Resource Guide. There you’ll find a quick list of ways windows, doors and skylights can help new and remodeled homes qualify as green, a slideshow of more LEED certified homes, links to green building programs and other green organizations and more. You’ll also find an archive of past green-related articles from Window & Door.

Sponsored by Truseal Technologies

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Nation Now in Mild Recession, Says NAHB Chief Economist
From the National Association of Home Builders
The deepening slump in the nation’s housing markets has seriously eroded consumer sentiment and pushed the economy into a mild recession, according to the chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). ... read more

84 Lumber Closes 30 Stores
From the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Thirty more 84 Lumber stores have closed across the country, the result of a 30-year low in housing construction starts, the Washington County-based company said today. ... read more

Future Of Solar-powered Houses Is Clear: New Windows Could Halve Carbon Emissions
From ScienceDaily
People could live in glass houses and look at the world through rose-tinted windows while reducing their carbon emissions by 50%, thanks to QUT Institute of Sustainable Resources (ISR) research. ... read more