Though I wasn’t with the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) when it was founded, in my 18 years with the organization I have seen firsthand the role that fenestration products play in enhancing the aesthetics, energy efficiency and comfort of homes and buildings. I believe wholeheartedly that it is essential that consumers have access to […]

The term “superhero” was first used in 1899. Since then, definitions vary. I like a combination of the definitions from Merriam –Webster dictionary and the Britannica dictionary for real people: exceptionally skillful people and those who do dangerous work. On April 25, the National Fenestration Rating Council’s (NFRC) Women in Fenestration group met to discuss […]

As with many things these days, it’s hard to believe that once upon a time people agreed on things. In 1969, Sen. Gaylord Nelson, a junior senator from Wisconsin who was concerned about the state of the environment in the U.S., saw a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, Calif. He recruited others to organize […]

The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) began a series of webinars in 2021 on products at the intersection of innovation, development and research. This series of webinars and presentations at our annual meetings have been widely popular. Not only is the industry anxious to verify that these technologies are going to be viable product options, […]

This time last year, National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) launched a campaign to encourage more people—builders, remodelers, architects, individual homeowners and others—to not take the state of their windows for granted. The campaign has had success with several national organizations, industry groups and magazines, and a few manufacturers are joining the effort. But there is […]

Ironically, writing this blog post has been trickier than the others because it’s the topic with the most research behind it. It also makes the most sense since no one gets excited about the idea of sitting in a windowless room for any time –barring those requiring it, of course, like movie theaters. But while […]

This year, we’ve been talking a lot about Why Windows Matter. NFRC has an ongoing campaign centered around it, to combat the notion that fewer or smaller windows are the answer to energy efficiency. As we’ve seen so far, this short-sighted “solution” doesn’t account for a host of benefits from windows, including occupant comfort, the […]

In the last couple of years, one of the main trends noticed in construction circles is the importance of comfort for building occupants. This trend has been incorporated into discussions regarding energy efficiency as well, as personal comfort is a way to get those who aren’t otherwise concerned about energy efficiency to move in that […]

In my last blog submission, I wrote about windows being invisible – by that, I meant the tendency to look through or past them rather than at them and their unique qualities and contributions to better buildings. Our industry faces another challenge – conveying the value of windows, doors, or skylights to a public who […]

We work in an invisible field. All the science and advancements in the fenestration industry are to make products as energy efficient as possible – while also being as unnoticeable as possible. People want the benefits of a wall but the views, ventilation, daylighting, and other advantages of an open space. People notice when the […]