After nearly four years of collaboration, the long-awaited Window Product Category Rule (PCR) has finally been released. The PCR, which can be viewed here, was established “to provide a detailed method for developing a business-to-business (B-to-B) Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) to support comparable, informed, and objective sustainable purchasing of windows,” according to the document. The […]

Congress returned from recess with a full plate, including federal budget issues and the Iran nuclear deal. It’s safe to say that fenestration priorities will be on the back burner for now, but that doesn’t mean progress isn’t being made elsewhere. Over the years, I’ve been pretty vocal about the lack of transparency and disturbing […]

Speakers and presenters offered insights into the future of sustainability in the building industry at the American Architectural Manufacturers Association’s (AAMA) 2015 Summer Conference, held June 28-July 1 in Seattle. Author and researcher Mic Patterson delivered the conference’s keynote address. He reviewed the recent evolution in façade technology and applications. He also identified current and emerging […]

Something code, something new and what can we do? That’s how Stanley Yee of Dow Corning opened his keynote discussion yesterday during the Canadian Glass Association’s (CGA) Glass Connections Conference in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He provided an overview of the various codes that relate to the glass and window industries and why it’s important to be aware […]

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 […]

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released a statement applauding Congress for authorizing the ICC 700 National Green Building Standard (NGBS) for all military residential construction, which represents 16 percent of the federal real estate portfolio. Passed by the Senate, and last week by the House, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) “will provide […]

The yard signs have come down, local advertising has gone back to normal and the results are (mostly) in. The midterm elections are behind us and Republicans are declaring victory with eight additional Senate seats (53 of 100) and increased dominance of the house with 12 new seats (244 of 435). No matter which side […]

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a rule aimed at ensuring federal buildings use proper energy certifications. The rule, which goes into effect November 13, ensures that in cases where agencies choose to use green building certification systems to meet federal sustainability and energy standards, they must select a system that verifies enhanced energy […]

The Vinyl Institute Fly In on May 21 might be better described as a ‘Swarm In’ with nearly 70 constituents from across the U.S. making the trip to Washington to make a case for “Fairness and Competition.” The material biases included in the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)® […]

Visits to Capitol Hill for legislation lobbying began today at the 2014 Spring Meeting and Legislative Conference, hosted by the Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) and the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) Held in Arlington, Va, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, attendees were briefed on lobbying basics before listening to […]