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DOE Offers Update on Changes to Energy Star
The Department of Energy is on track to put revised Energy Star criteria for windows into effect by early 2009, according to Richard Karney, DOE Energy Star program manager. Karney spoke at the National Fenestration Rating Council fall meeting last week.
Karney said the DOE is working with manufacturers to learn what products are available in the marketplace and what products are in development. Analysis of the findings should be published by the end of January and distributed to stakeholders. A stakeholders meeting is planned for March.
January 1, 2009 is the earliest effective date for the new criteria. “We’re trying to stick to that date as best we can. But, we will not keep it if it means sacrificing better criteria,” Karney said.
The DOE also plans to issue even tougher criteria for Energy Star windows in 2012 and again in 2015, he noted. “We’re looking to establish much more aggressive criteria in 2012 using technology that’s out there or technology that’s coming down the pipeline. … We’re studying targets for 2015 that will be extremely aggressive—extremely high tech products, perhaps using technology that may not exist now,” Karney said. “Products like highly super insulating units, or windows with dynamic glazing.
“We’re setting numbers now to give industry time to prepare to meet aggressive targets,” he explained.
The Energy Star climate zone maps are also set to change, Karney said. The maps will more closely match up with IECC climate zones, but will be more simplified. “The proposed climate zone maps will have 5 zones compared to IECC’s 8,” he said.
The Canadian Energy Star program is looking to toughen its window ratings as well, said Steve Hopwood, program officer for standards and labeling, housing and equipment for the Office of Energy Efficiency, Natural Resources Canada in Ottawa. Hopwood also spoke during the NFRC meeting.
“The U.S. DOE is looking to make their program more stringent, and we’d like to match what’s happening in the U.S.,” Hopwood said.
Changes to the Canadian program could also occur as early as 2009.
—Katy Devlin, e-glass weekly e-newsletter editor
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