# Presentation: 112229

## The National Fenestration Rating Council

*To rate the energy efficiency of *
* **windows, doors, & skylights and other Fenestration products*

**Notes:**
The NFRC is the energy rating body for the Fenestration Industry.  Fenestration defined as any openings in a building envelope –such as  windows, doors & Skylights.

## TOPICS

- Introduction to NFRC
- Newly Released NFRC documents
- New Compliance and Monitoring Program
- New Implementation Program
- Fenestration Attachments Program nearing completion
- Codes and Standards
- Future Component Rating System

**Notes:**
Our topics today will include an introduction to the NFRC including our mission and history.  An explanation of the current NFRC ratings and explanation of the items rated and a overview  of  the rating process.  A discussion of why energy ratings our important within the fenestration industry.  Explore how NFRC is referenced in the National, State and local codes and finally an introduction to the NFRC’s future component rating system.

## Introduction to NFRC

*The NFRC’s mission:*

- Global Warming

***NFRC develops and administers comparative energy and related ***_***rating programs***_*** that ***_***serve the public***_*** and satisfy the needs of its private sector partners by ***_***providing fair, accurate and credible, user-friendly information***_*** on fenestration product performance****.*

**Notes:**
NFRC is a non-profit educational organization that administers the uniform, independent rating and labeling system for the energy performance of Fenestration systems (windows, Curtain wall, doors, skylights) installed in residential and commercial buildings. Our goal is to provide fair, accurate and reliable energy performance ratings.

## FAST FACTS

- Created in 1989, by industry
- Unique, educational non-profit public/private organization representing:
- 	**Industry (fenestration and building)**
**	****State energy offices**
**	****Design Professionals**
**	****Representatives from Higher Education **
**	****Utilities**
- 	**Consumer Organizations **
*(Not a trade association)*

***Energy Efficiency***

*Introduction to NFRC*

**Notes:**
The NFRC began in 1989 in response to the need for a credible nation wide energy rating system for the fenestration industry.  Fenestration stakeholders worked together to create a fair and credible process for certification, rating and labeling of products.  Note, the NFRC is not a trade association because it always works to act in the public’s best interest.

## Energy Factors Rated by the NFRC

- U-factor (thermal transmission)

- SHGC (Solar Heat Gain)

- VT (Visible Transmittance)

***NFRC Energy Performance Ratings***

*Current Code Requires the above listed energy ratings*

**Notes:**
NFRC began by rating the U-Factor which represents the thermal transmission through the entire fenestration product, not just the glazing or frame alone.  Later the NFRC added Solar Heat Gain Coefficient ratings representing the infrared radiation transmission and soon added visual transmission ratings as well.  As these ratings were developed national codes soon began referencing them.

## NFRC Energy Performance Ratings

**NFRC Energy**** Performance Ratings**

-  **NFRC 100 - U-factor**

**NFRC 200 – **
**Solar heat gain coefficient, Visible light transmittance (VT)**

**NFRC 400 - Air Leakage**

**NFRC 300/301 – Optical Properties (Emissivity)**

**NFRC 500 – **
**Condensation Resistance**

**Notes:**
NFRC 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 are technical procedures governing their respective rating parameters.  This diagram shows each procedure with it’s respective parameter or rating.  

## 2004 Documents Published

- NFRC 100-U-Factor process
- NFRC 101-Material Properties Process
- NFRC 102-U-Factor Test
- NFRC 200-SHGC process
- NFRC 201-SHGC test
- NFRC 300-Solar Optical Properties Test
- NFRC 301-Specular Surface Emittance Test
- NFRC 400-Air Leakage Test
- NFRC 500-Condensation Rating Procedure

## The NFRC “Rating Process”

**Simulation Laboratory **
**Simulate All Options**

**Market Place**
**Responsible Party Label Product**

**Testing Laboratory**
**(Test One Base Line Product)**

**NFRC Label or Label Certificate**

**Inspection Agency (IA)**
**Issue Certificate authorization, Plant inspection **

***NFRC Energy Performance Ratings***

**Notes:**
First the NFRC process requires the simulation of all  fenestration product options.    This is followed by the testing of one base line product, per product line.  Next an independent agency reviews the simulation and test results confirming their agreement.  The manufacturer would then sign a license agreement with the NFRC.  Finally – the IA, Independent Agency issues a certified ratings report and the manufacturer uses these ratings and labels their products.  The manufacturer is responsible for the rating and labeling of their product.

## NFRC Label Certificate (For Buildings with 10,000 sq ft. of glazing area)

- NFRC Label Certificate (**For Buildings with 10,000 sq ft. of glazing area**)

- NFRC Label

**Notes:**
Here are two examples of the NFRC Label.  On the left is the NFRC residential label showing the four primary ratings issued.  On the right is the current label certificate for commercial projects with a glazing area greater then 10,000 square feet.

## Why Rate Products?

- Help meet the code requirements
- Provides means to compare products
- Provides a base line for developments and product improvement
- Help consumer to make informed decision
- Promotes energy efficiency
- International Harmonization

**Notes:**
Many reason exist making the rating of fenestration products necessary.  NFRC ratings enable code bodies, consumers, designers, building officials and others to reference accurate fenestration energy ratings.  NFRC is pursuing international harmonization is several countries including Canada, European union, India, china and Russia.

## In Rating and Codes a Level Playing Field is Required

- In Rating and Codes a **Level Playing Field is Required**

**If Fair Rating is available**

- I am taller then you

**Consumer**

***Consumer is the winner***

*NFRC Ratings*

*NFRC Ratings*

*NFRC Ratings*

**Notes:**
NFRC ratings have enabled the consumer to easily compare fenestration energy performance.  The level playing field created by NFRC ratings makes an apples to apples comparison possible.

## Benefits To the Consumer

**Notes:**
NFRC ratings have many other benefits to the consumer beyond energy savings and the resulting lower energy costs.   A reduction in heat transmission leads to improved comfort during the cooling season.  

## Lower Mechanical Equipment Costs

- Module 3–slide 16

**Lower Mechanical Equipment Costs**

- Using windows that significantly reduce solar heat gain means that cooling equipment costs may be reduced.

**Notes:**
High-performance windows not only provide reduced annual heating and cooling bills; they reduce the peak heating and cooling loads as well. This benefits the business or homeowner by reducing the heating or cooling system size.   It may also benefit electrical utilities, by reducing peak load during summer.

The peak load for a building is the maximum requirement for heating or cooling at one time. These loads determine the size of the furnace, heat pump, air conditioner, and fans that must be installed. The table illustrates typical reductions in cooling peak loads that occur with different window types used in a typical house. The consumer can benefit directly from peak load reduction, because heating and cooling systems can be sized smaller, resulting in initial cost savings in some cases. Test homes that have been built in various U.S. climates (Las Vegas, Phoenix, Lakeland) have demonstrated significant peak demand savings as a result of using efficient windows. Recently, several houses were built in Las Vegas with energy efficient improvements including spectrally selective windows. The total size of the air conditioning system was reduced by 30 percent. 

## Fenestration & Code

**IECC & IBC ****International (Energy Conservation Code &**** ****International Building Code)**
- 2003 IECC and IBC’s Energy Code require  Non-Residential  certification and specify NFRC certification compliance.
**ASHRAE ****(American Society of Heating, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Engineers)**
- ASHRAE 90.1: *Energy Standard for Buildings* Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings require U-factor and Solar Heat Gain

**Notes:**
The IECC and ASHRAE are the two largest national building codes in the United States.  Each of these references NFRC Ratings.  If a building uses non NFRC rated windows the design is penalized by forcing the designer to use default tables.   Default tables are worse case scenario ratings that unrated windows must use.  Using NFRC rated windows simplified the building inspectors job by ensuring that the building complies with these national codes.  

## IECC language

**102.5.2 Fenestration product rating, certification and labeling. ***U*-factors of fenestration products (windows, doors** **and skylights) shall be determined in accordance with** **NFRC 100 by an accredited, independent laboratory, and labeled and certified by the manufacturer. The solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of glazed fenestration products (windows,** **glazed doors and skylights) shall be determined in accordance with NFRC 200 by an accredited, independent laboratory, and labeled and certified by the manufacturer.**  **Where a shading coefficient for a fenestration product is used, it shall be determined by converting the product’s SHGC, as determined in accordance with NFRC 200, to a shading coefficient, by dividing the SHGC by 0.87. Such certified and labeled *U*-factors and SHGCs shall be accepted for purposes of determining compliance with the building envelope requirements of this code

**Notes:**
The language displayed details the NFRC specific references within the IECC.  When writing a specification use the language shown to specify NFRC rated products.  Use of this language will ensure that the builder or contractor uses fenestration products that will meet building codes. 

## New Compliance and Monitoring Program

- Ensure Labels are
- Properly applied
- Proper enforcement
- Fines for failures
- Ensures consumer and manufacturer process is complete and accurate

## Implementation Program

- Establish Knowledge Baseline
- Conduct code official survey
- Understand marketplace
- CA, TX, MA, GA focus in 2005
- Determine New Information Needed
- Conduct site visits
- Learn more about enforcement and compliance
- Report back to NFRC Membership
- Inform membership of implementation program
- Membership determines any new steps necessary

## NFRC’s Commercial Rating System

*To rate the energy efficiency of *
* **windows, doors, & skylights in Commercial Buildings*

**Notes:**
The NFRC is currently developing a new commercial rating system.  Together with industry stake holders NFRC is working to improve and simplify it’s current commercial rating program.

## Future Component Based Rating

**Notes:**
This proposed rating system will used component based rating versus whole product.  The user will go on-line, select the desired components, design the window and then print out the NFRC rating.  This program will access several on-line component databases with their associated energy performance.

## D R A F T

**Notes:**
The proposed component based system is comprised of three databases: glass, spacer and frame.  Each database is continually updated with new or changing component energy properties.  This slide details the overall rating process.

## Product Configurator

- 2

**Product Configurator**

- Glazing

- Glazing

- Glazing

- Frame

- Frame

- Frame

*Future Component Based Rating*

**Notes:**
The glass and spacer portions are individual components and their energy properties reside in national databases. The framing requires simulation and the resulting energy performance ratings are used by product configurator.  Finally the configurator uses all the component ratings for the final calculation.

## Frame cross-section modeled using NFRC approved 2D calculation tool THERM
Each Frame system cross-section modeled for four basic cases

- Each Frame system cross-section modeled for four basic cases

**For**** Frame System Manufacturers**

|  | BB | BW | WB | WW |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Uf |  |  |  |  |
| Ue |  |  |  |  |
| PFD |  |  |  |  |

- BB = Frame modeled with Best glazing, Best spacer option
- BW = Frame modeled with Best glazing, Worst spacer option
- WB = Frame modeled with worst glazing, Best spacer option
- WW = Frame modeled with worst glazing, worst spacer option
- PFD = Projected frame dimension

*Future Component Based Rating*

**Notes:**
The table characterizes the frame, glazing and spacer system in a concise manner for the frame system manufacturer.  Using a matrix comprised of best/worst glazing with best/worst spacers greatly reduces the amount of required data that needs to be supplied by the frame manufacturer.   This eases the burden on the manufacturer to provide detailed performance data.  This system uses end points to allow for the flexibility of the many varied commercial projects.

## NFRC Label Certificate

*Future Component Based Rating*

- D R A F T

**Notes:**
The NFRC conceptual label certificate is shown here.  Besides showing the required ratings a graph will be shown.  Because energy performance is a function of size, architects and other specifiers will now have the ability and advantage of being able to determine actual ratings.    This will be a valuable resource as it will assist in actual energy modeling of buildings.

## BENEFITS OF THE COMPONENT APPROACH...

**REDUCED COSTS**
- Cost associated with building the approved component database will be born by more manufacturers since there will be three categories of components instead of just whole-product manufacturers.
**WEB BASED**
- Certification will be web-based and therefore more assessable for the end users
**BENCHMARKING & COMPETITION**
- It will provide rating of components such as spacers and frames which will provide benchmarking and competition in the marketplace to develop better products.

**Notes:**
This component based rating approach will save the user design expense by enabling online fenestration energy rating.    The component approach will put all fenestration energy performance on the web at the designers finger tips.    It will also enhance competition amongst spacer and frame manufacturers as data becomes more readily available with ease of access.

## ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OF THE COMPONENT APPROACH...

**SIMPLIFICATION**
- As with any complex system, a component approach simplifies. Breaking the system into easily understood pieces expedites learning the new method.
**INCREASED SPECIFIERS**
- The component-based program will increase the number of specifers including certification of products used on non-residential projects.
**FASTER TURN AROUND**
- The time it takes the end user to receive label certificates will be greatly reduced.

**Notes:**
Additional benefits of the proposed system include a natural simplification resulting from the component nature of the process.   Specifiers will increase as they are allowed access to the energy rating of components that have never before been so readily available.   Within the industry a faster turn around time is ensured with total process time slashed in designing commercial fenestration systems.

##                Thank You !

**For more information please feel free to check us out on-line at :**_[www.nfrc.org](http://www.nfrc.org/)_

- contact our offices:
- The National Fenestration Rating Council * 8484 Georgia Avenue, Suite 320*Silver Spring, Maryland 20910*301/589-1776

**Notes:**
For continuously updated information on all of the NFRC’s programs, meetings, and work within the fenestration industry please log on to the NFRC website at www.nfrc.org.

Thank you for taking a few moments to learn more about the National Fenestration Rating Council the nation’s resource for Fair, Accurate, and Credible Energy Ratings of Fenestration products