Spring 2007 NFRC Finishes in Austin

The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) wrapped up an eventful Spring 2007 Membership Meeting today with some news on the component modeling approach (CMA) front.

The NFRC's Ratings committee directed the CMA ratings subcommittee to work with the organization's staff to develop a ballot for the summer meeting. On the certification side, a subcommittee is going to look at how to best organize the product certification program. One of the group's tasks will be determine whether it is a single program or will be in two sections.

Monday's insulating glass (IG) Certification Task Group overwhelmingly voted 24-2 to study the concept of making IG certification required for NFRC certification. As the meeting came to a close, the board tasked the subcommittee and task group to work continue to work on the program and report back in Denver.

This came after Marc LaFrance at the Department of Energy articulated an argument for mandatory IG certification on Monday. His argument: the European manufacturers were coming and their target is the American market.

"America needs to step up or it's going to fall behind," LaFrance said. "The whole industry has to go after this."

Another issue that moved forward throughout the meeting was Thermal Comfort Ratings. After Jim Larsen with Cardinal Glass Industries, presenting a case for developing a system on Monday, the issue made it to the subcommittee level. Larsen will serve as chair and Peter Lyons will be the vice-chair.

Finally, a motion was carried under the technical committee that would allow the Storm Window and Door task group to look at ratings for storm windows. It will use the "reference window methodology" used for film attachments as a starting point.

Stay tuned to USGNN for a follow up to the NFRC meeting and reaction next week.