NFRC Reaffirms Commitment to Serving Commercial Industry
Greenbelt, Md. —The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) is renewing its commitment to providing the commercial fenestration industry with an energy performance certified rating program.
In the short-term, the organization is refining its existing Component Modeling Approach (CMA) program to provide users with a more efficient experience, allowing them to calculate fenestration energy performance ratings faster.
NFRC’s long-term commitment, however, involves more than just improving its current tools.
“We’re dedicated to building a first-class program for the commercial sector,” said Deb Callahan, NFRC’s Interim CEO. “We’ve started interacting more directly with industry professionals to better understand their challenges and guide our decisions toward creating the best solution.”
NFRC will be reaching out to collaborate with partners that include the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA), the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance (IGMA), and the Glass Association of North America (GANA).
NFRC anticipates its commercial certified product rating program gaining traction as whole-building commissioning grows. It sees this shift creating the need for the organization to provide rating information that enables more precise whole-building calculations.
“This is where the industry is headed, and NFRC is going to be there,” Callahan said.
NFRC’s Board Chair, Jeff Baker, agrees. He sees the organization more carefully considering its contribution to green building and sustainability as it develops its commercial program. This is another area it plans to cultivate in alignment with insight it gains directly from the industry.
“Our industry is evolving, and we see many exciting opportunities for NFRC to figure more prominently in making the nation’s buildings more energy efficient,” Baker said. “We’re keeping pace with what’s happening, and creating a scalable program.”
NFRC is a non-profit organization that administers a voluntary, uniform rating, labeling, and certification system for the energy performance of windows, doors, curtain walls, skylights, and other fenestration products. Its members include manufacturers, suppliers, utilities, consumer groups, representatives from the building and code industries, scientific and educational organizations, and government agencies.