About NFRC
NFRC is a non-profit
organization that administers the only uniform, independent rating
and labeling system for the energy performance of windows, doors,
skylights, and attachment products. Our goal is to provide fair,
accurate, and reliable energy performance ratings so that:
• Architects,
builders, code officials, contractors, homeowners,
and others can compare different products and make informed
product choices.
• Building
officials, state government employees, and others involved
in code development and enforcement can determine if products
meet local codes.
• Government-
and utility-run energy efficiency programs can establish
performance requirements and standards.
• Manufacturers
have a fair and level playing field to compare products and
an accurate method of showing the energy benefits of new designs
or technology.
NFRC's former e-newsletter,
Update,
served all of us well for many years. The rapid evolution of
technology, however, has changed the way the world communicates
and NFRC has changed, too.
Rather than publishing quarterly e-newsletters, we have
created NFRC
News Now to
provide
you with more timely information pertaining to the
fenestration industry.
Mission
Statement
NFRC
develops and administers energy-related rating and certification
programs that serve the public by providing fair, accurate,
and credible information on fenestration performance.
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Vision
NFRC
is the recognized leader in energy performance rating and certification
programs for fenestration products.
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Core
Values
- Commitment to
the public interest by providing fair, accurate, and credible
ratings
- Consensus driven
process -- Varied interests working together, crafting a balanced
approach to our work
- Respect all input
from stakeholders
- Protect and preserve
the integrity of the NFRC and its programs and ratings
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Goals
- Deliver valid,
usable data to all customers (public/building industry/code
officials/government
- Deliver a successful
energy rating program to the commercial fenestration industry
- Deliver an improved
and simplified rating program for the residential fenestration
industry
- Deliver
new rating procedures and programs for existing and emerging
technologies
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The
History of NFRC
Ultimately, NFRC was
formed in response to the energy crises of the 1970s.
To address concerns
about energy consumption, the fenestration industry developed
a host of new energy efficient technologies: low-e coatings, low-conductance
spacers, gas fills, etc.
Unfortunately, in advertising
these new technologies some manufacturers made outlandish claims
about the performance of their products. Consumers complained,
and the federal government began to investigate allegations of
unscrupulous practices in the industry.
By the late 1980s, key
industry stakeholders began to realize that something had to be
done to prevent widespread confusion, federal intervention, and
perhaps costly litigation. They came together in Vancouver , British
Columbia in 1989 and founded NFRC to provide independent verification
of product performance.
Read Behind
the Glass, A History of the NFRC By the People Who Lived It
Key Events Since the
Founding
1991
NFRC publishes its first
Certified Products Directory (then in print, now
online)
NFRC adopts procedures
for rating and labeling U-factor
1992
National Energy Policy
Act codifies NFRC's role as the nation's energy performance rating
and labeling organization
1993
First NFRC-labeled products
roll off participating manufacturers' assembly lines
California becomes first
state to require NFRC labels on products
NFRC adopts procedures
for rating and labeling solar heat gain coefficient
and visible transmittance
1994
NFRC celebrates its
5th anniversary
1995
NFRC adopts procedures
for rating and labeling air leakage
1996
NFRC launches a comprehensive
marketing and education campaign designed to raise awareness among
the makers, regulators, and buyers of fenestration products
1997
NFRC adopts a new, modern
logo
1999
NFRC celebrates its
10th anniversary
2000
NFRC launches its "site-built"
program for fenestration products in commercial applications
2002
NFRC moves to offices
in Silver Spring , Maryland
NFRC adopts procedures
for rating and labeling condensation resistance
2003
NFRC implements one-size
testing
2004
NFRC celebrates its
15th anniversary
2006
NFRC
certification expands to Dynamic Glazing Products &
Window Film
NFRC
earns accreditation as continuing education provider for both
the Construction Specifier
Institute (CSI) and the American Institute of
Architects (AIA)
2007
NFRC
expands reach with international partnerships: first new membership
in this category: the Australian
Fenestration Rating Council (AFRC.)
The
growing staff at headquarters move to new offices in Greenbelt,
Maryland
2009
The
NFRC's new Commercial Rating program
(CMA) kicks off a pilot program with training for stakeholders
beginning in early March
New
strategic direction approved by NFRC's Board of Directors encompassing
a more public focus
NFRC
celebrates 20 years as the emerging international leader for fair,
credible energy ratings on fenestration products
Read Behind
the Glass, A History of the NFRC By the People Who Lived It
View
NFRC Operating Documents Here (community only)
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