The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August, provides rebates and tax credits to homeowners investing in energy-efficient upgrades, including new windows. It will also help the economy as well, said Vice President Kamala Harris when she addressed the Sheet Metal Workers Local 17 in Boston earlier this week. “We are fighting together to lower home […]

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published final specifications for Energy Star 7.0 Thursday, handing manufacturers their final marching orders if they’re to keep the program’s sticker on their door and window products. The news arrived amid the final hours of GlassBuild America—a week in which some companies said they were shopping new glass packages and […]

As the Senate pushes to pass the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) says it remains opposed to the bill. The association is working with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) to obtain key changes as it related to carried interest and how companies can deduct depreciated assets from taxes. During the […]

Well, here we are once again heading for a new version of Energy Star that will begin in 2023 with even tougher requirements. As I completed my travels during the first half of this year, I noticed an overall lack of concern regarding the upcoming Energy Star changes. My customers seemed focused on the present […]

During the last few weeks, I have visited customers, and the topic of Energy Star has come up. Everyone wonders if the EPA will stick with the stringent requirements outlined in drafts 1 and 2 of Version 7.0 or move to some halfway point. This would give window and door fabricators extra time to adjust […]

The race will soon begin for manufacturers seeking to earn or keep Energy Star certifications for door and window products. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took another step toward deployment of Version 7.0 today, releasing a final draft with minor updates over its Draft 2 proposal. Changes include a slight adjustment to U-factor requirements […]

“It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look farther than you can see.”—Winston Churchill After attending GlassBuild last week and reviewing innovations that can help improve thermal performance, I’m encouraged! The new low-E coatings and combinations of coatings, along with some new work on thin triples, advises us that we can achieve lower […]

In the Shop Talk blog, we’ve talked a lot about the here and now: how to be more productive with fewer employees, health and safety in the COVID-19 era and tips to improve quality and efficiency. We’re all focused on how we get through the next day or week, and we need to be. But […]

Officials for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grabbed the mic Tuesday to explain how the agency arrived at the criteria proposed in Draft 1 of Energy Star 7.0 for residential windows, doors and skylights. In a more than hourlong webinar, program officials detailed the development cycle and how their agency calculated such things as […]

Back in 2017, [DWM] ran a poll, titled: “If Energy Star Goes Away Would Privatization Be Okay?“ I remember being surprised back then at how many respondents were in favor of letting Energy Star fall by the wayside. So, lately I have been discussing with colleagues the possible ramifications that could come as a result […]