The International Code Council (ICC) Committee Action Hearings took place last week in Albuquerque, N.M., ending on what officials for the Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) describe as a “year of alignment.” The event drew a number of collaborations over fenestration-related proposals, including between representatives for WDMA and the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA). WDMA and […]

In a letter addressed to Congress, a coalition of manufacturers, advocacy groups and trade associations petitioned national leaders recently, urging them to update and reinstate energy efficiency-based tax incentives. The group, which includes window, air conditioner and insulation manufacturers, presented Congress with a proposed list of incentives it said would both modernize and improve those […]

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) weighed in on windows and glazing recently, through a new guideline aimed at increasing energy efficiency among historic homes and buildings. ASHRAE Guideline 34-2019, Energy Guideline for Historic Buildings, cues in on minimizing the disturbance of a building’s historic character, including Section 6.4, which covers […]

ASHRAE recently released an updated version of the ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.2-2018 Energy-Efficient Design of Low Rise Residential Buildings. The update defines minimum whole-building energy performance requirements for energy-efficient residential buildings. According to ASHRAE officials, the revision of Standard 90.2 outlines cost-effective residential building energy performance measures that are at least 50 percent more efficient than […]

Last week, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that public-records activist Carl Malamud’s organization, Public.Resource.Org, violated copyright law by publicly sharing technical standards that are used in laws such as building codes. It also said organizations that develop standards, including those used in the fenestration industry, have the right to charge […]

On Monday, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia heard arguments in the copyright-infringement lawsuit against public-records activist Carl Malamud, who is being sued by ASTM International, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). All three develop standards used in the fenestration industry. The […]

The long-running debate over who “owns” the standards used in legally binding construction codes gets another big platform next month. In August, the American Bar Association (ABA) will vote on a resolution urging Congress to pass legislation that provides limited free online access to standards incorporated into state and local construction codes, including those related to fenestration. But public-records activist Carl Malamud argues in a recent report he […]

The state of Georgia has filed a lawsuit against public-domain activist Carl Malamud for publishing the state’s entire legal code online. It’s the latest legal battle for a man who is currently being sued by organizations that develop construction standards — including those for glazing, doors and windows — that then become part of state building codes. The Georgia […]

ASHRAE, ANSI, the U.S. Green Building Council and the Illuminating Engineering Society recently released the 2014 version of the green building standard. The new version, Standard 189.1-2014, “Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings,” has implications for the glass and fenestration industries. “One change was in how they set the […]

When the Glass Association of North America (GANA) divisions and committees met in Toronto last week for the group’s Fall Conference, members had plenty to discuss. Those in attendance covered topics ranging from ongoing interest in Building Information Modeling (BIM) to codes and standards, energy performance and more. In the Energy Division meeting, Tom Culp […]