Rating the performance of fenestration systems

Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · ASHRAE Journal (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers); (United States)

OSTI ID:6990970

Arasteh, D K; Beck, F A ^[1]; duPont, W C; Mathis, R C ^[2]

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1. Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States). Windows and Daylighting Group
2. National Fenestration Rating Council, Silver Spring, MD (United States)

During the 1980s, a wide variety of new, energy efficient fenestration systems (windows, skylights, doors, etc.) emerged on the market. However, while the products' energy efficiency had increased significantly, little effort was made to standardize the procedures used to determine and report the products' thermal performance properties. Specifiers relied heavily on manufacturers' data. These data were often determined using different procedures, often specified different properties, and some times sounded to good to be true. In addition, code officials could not accurately or efficiently implement state energy codes, so they began mandating rating procedures that often differed from state to state and sometimes within a state. NFRC's mission is to create rating procedures for thermal properties, not to set maximum or minimum property values for specific applications. Other groups -- such as ASHRAE, other code agencies or state governments -- set standards that specify minimum property requirements. Many such standards already require that fenestration thermal properties be determined using NFRC procedures. This article briefly explains NFRC's procedures for determining window heat transfer indices, discusses NFRC's efforts to validate its technical procedures, and explains how specifiers can use the NFRC rating system.

• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 6990970
• Journal Information: ASHRAE Journal (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers); (United States), Journal Name: ASHRAE Journal (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers); (United States) Vol. 36:8; ISSN 0001-2491; ISSN ASHRAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320107* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Building Systems-- (1987-)
BUILDINGS
DOORS
ENERGY TRANSFER
HEAT TRANSFER
OPENINGS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
TESTING
WINDOWS