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 […]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released the Energy Star Most Efficient 2020 final recognition criteria, which encompass 14 product categories including residential windows and sliding glass doors (SGD). The Energy Star Most Efficient program provides businesses with the opportunity to be recognized for meeting a higher standard than the baseline Energy Star criteria. Efficiency […]

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 […]

Centennial Windows and Doors was the recipient of the Energy Star Canada 2019 Manufacturer of the Year award, given in recognition of companies that display market transformation and the ongoing advancement of the “Five A’s”: availability, awareness, accessibility, affordability and acceptability of energy-efficient products. The company was the first window manufacturer and retailer to qualify […]

Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG Glass) announced that its facility in Fresno, Calif., has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star certification for superior energy efficiency. The Fresno plant, which operates an oxygen-fuel-powered (oxy-fuel) glass furnace, earned the certification by registering an energy performance score ranked in the 75th percentile or higher among […]

The White House released its proposed budget recently for fiscal year 2020, including key cutbacks in areas pertaining to energy and the environment. “In just over two years, together with the American people, we have launched an unprecedented economic boom,” declares President Donald J. Trump in his opening statements for the proposal, pointing to (among […]