After releasing its Energy Star Version 7.0 Window, Door and Skylight (WDS) Discussion Guide in early September, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now seeking stakeholder input.

Prior to considering potential revisions, the agency published information on the following topics in its guide:

• Background on the process for Energy Star specification revision;
• Assessment of the current Energy Star WDS market;
• Proposed methodologies for evaluating a potential revised specification; and
• Additional issues that EPA plans to consider in a potential specification revision.

According to information published in the guide, among the reasons EPA cites as cause for revisions is an abundance of market share for Energy-Star-certified products. The guide also suggests that “recent developments in energy codes and other product specifications may surpass the current Energy Star specification levels.” Despite preliminary indicators, EPA officials say they “must still conduct additional analyses before deciding to propose to revise the specification.”

Questions for stakeholders are included in each section of the guide, which the EPA is hoping will facilitate collaboration. There are 28 questions in total, including such things as:

• What are good sources for data on the subjects being discussed in each section?
• What factors should the EPA consider?
• How should certain processes be revised to better evaluate performance? and
• What impact would potential changes have on consumers and partners?

Specific information can be found in the guide.

The EPA is asking stakeholders to review the Discussion Guide and provide formal comments to windows@energystar.gov by October 4, 2019. There will also be a webinar for discussion and questions on September 17, 2019, from 2–4 p.m. EST.  To attend, register here.