Glassmakers invested in the green window market need to know that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just released its first draft of its ENERGY STAR specifications for exterior and interior storm windows.
The agency is soliciting feedback from glass manufacturers to help in its revision process. The specification applies to low-emissivity storm windows, which went to market in 2009. The EPA says such a cost-effective, energy efficient product will benefit consumers who cannot afford a full window replacement. This group includes lower-income households, low-rise multi-family households, households involved with HUD programs, and households in historic preservation districts.
The revised specifications are based on emissivity, solar transmittance, and air leakage. The first two are metrics distinguish higher-performing, energy-savings products from conventional ones on the market, according to the agency.
The EPA reports that only about 10 percent of the 8 million storm windows consumers purchase each year use low-emissivity glass. It hopes that the ENERGY STAR specification could raise market share to 50 percent and have payback periods between 2.4 and 8.5 years, which is a shorter time period than full window replacements.
Glass manufacturers are invited to contact the EPA’s Doug Anderson (windows@energystar.gov) to provide feedback. An Aug. 3 webinar outlining the specificatiprocess can be found here.
