Full Schedule

Kick off the meeting Tuesday evening with drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and friends. Hosted by NFRC Board Chair Kevin Vilhauer.

Best-selling author, coach, and leadership strategist Christin Schaaf leads an engaging and interactive session that takes the familiar phrase “that wasn’t on my bingo card” and turns it into something more intentional. It’s a chance to press pause before the next round begins. Read more.

(Grand Ballroom)

Presenters:
Deb Callahan, CEO, National Fenestration Rating Council
Kevin Vilhauer, Chair, NFRC Board of Directors
Scott Meza, General Counsel, NFRC

Committee Chair: John Gordon, WESTLab
Vice Chair: Alonso Caballero-Morlesin, Sr. Code Compliance Engineer, PGT Industries
NFRC Staff: Kevin Louder, Sr. Manager, Commercial Program
Melissa Graham, Sr. Program Administrator

See: Meeting Resources for agendas, ballots, and minutes

As buildings are increasingly regulated based on energy, carbon, and actual performance, what role will fenestration play—and are today’s codes, products, ratings, and design practices ready for it?

Panelists & Members of the NFRC Board of Directors:
Amy Boyce, Vice President, Building Energy and Climate Solutions, WSP
Daniel Haaland, Principal, Building Science Engineer, RDH Building Science
David McDonald, Regulatory Affairs Specialist, Senior, Marvin
Mike Rhoden, Regulatory Compliance Manager, VELUX America

Moderator: Todd Bennett, Chief Marketing Officer, NFRC

Accreditation helps drive NFRC’s commitment to continuous improvement, delivering greater consistency, fairness, and responsiveness from the program. In this session, you’ll get an update on where accreditation stands today, what’s being done to serve you better, and a new way for you to make your voice heard without waiting for a formal meeting.

NFRC Staff: Michelle Scism, Sr. Manager, Quality and Accreditation
Steve Urich, Director, Quality Assurance

For nearly 40 years, PCP certification has centered on thermal validation testing, and it has worked well. This session sets the stage for the afternoon’s structured roundtable conversations about whether thermal validation testing remains the best way to ensure performance integrity or if a redesigned quality assurance model could achieve the same outcome more efficiently and predictably. Read more about the QA session series.

NFRC Staff: Scott Hanlon, Director, Residential Programs

(Grand Ballroom)
At its core, PCMS (Product Certification Management System) exists to make your day easier. This session will highlight the meaningful improvements we’ve made over the past year, including capabilities designed to save you time and give you more control. You’ll also get a preview of what’s coming next, like in-app notifications and account status alerts, so you’re never caught off guard. We also want to hear from you: your feedback directly shapes what we build next.

NFRC Staff: Mike Thoman, Director, Technology
Dan Womer, Program Administrator

(Salon A)
This session is about partnership with our Inspection Agencies. We’ll talk through the continued collaboration NFRC depends on as PCMS continues to be implemented and developed. We’ll also share what we’re seeing in the field on the compliance and labeling side and reinforce that our door is always open: whether it’s a question, a concern, or something you’d rather flag anonymously, we want to hear it. This is your chance to shape how we support you going forward.

NFRC Staff: Michelle Scism, Sr. Manager, Quality and Accreditation
Jen Padgett, Program Administrator

(Salon B)
Test reports currently include a full set of drawings alongside other technical data. This session opens a discussion on whether reports could focus on assembly-level drawings, with additional detail made available to inspection agencies as needed. The conversation is meant to explore ways to simplify the reporting process for labs and manufacturers.

NFRC Staff: Dennis Anderson, Sr. Manager, Programs

Grand Ballroom

This session gives manufacturers a direct seat at the table to weigh in on a proposed shift in how product performance is assured, from testing concentrated at certification to a distributed quality assurance model across the five-year cycle. You’ll work through five concept questions covering new product validation, ongoing QA methods, and how much friction the current process creates for your organization. Your table’s consensus, and any dissenting views, get captured and carried into tomorrow’s findings summary.
Preview the discussion questions.
Read more about the QA session series.

NFRC Staff: Steve Urich, Director, Quality Assurance · Scott Hanlon, Director, Residential Programs · Melissa Graham, Program Administrator

Salon A

Inspection agencies have long been central to reviewing test data and bringing certification recommendations to staff, and this session is your opportunity to help shape what that role looks like under a redesigned quality assurance model. You’ll discuss how your review function could work under a 20% annual testing cycle, whether QA reviews could align with your existing in-plant inspection visits, and what a defined role would look like at a timed checkpoint. The goal is a system that preserves program integrity while working better for everyone involved.
Preview the discussion questions.
Read more about the QA session series.

NFRC Staff: Michelle Scism, Sr. Manager, Quality and Accreditation · Jen Padgett, Program Administrator

Salon B

Labs have built their NFRC practice around thermal validation testing, and this session starts by acknowledging that directly before opening a technical conversation about what maintains program integrity going forward. You’ll be asked the questions you’re best positioned to answer: whether cut-up testing is a sufficient ongoing QA tool, whether a timed checkpoint can establish early performance confidence, and what conditions would need to be met to protect NFRC’s credibility. This is a chance to shape the technical foundation of the proposed model directly. Preview the discussion questions.
Read more about the QA session series.

NFRC Staff: Dennis Anderson, Sr. Manager, Programs

Committee Chair: Bipin Shah, President, WinBuild, Inc.
Vice Chair: Lisa Winckler, President, Colorand LLC
NFRC Staff: Kevin Louder, Sr. Manager, Commercial Program
Melissa Graham, Program Administrator

See: Meeting Resources for agendas, ballots, and minutes

Step back in time at Alexandria’s all-original Continues Arcade, where classic arcade games, vintage pinball machines, Skee-Ball, claw machines, and more await. Enjoy food, drinks, and a little friendly competition as NFRC takes over the arcade for the evening. Ready player one? It’s time for an All Play!

This session will bring all participants back together to review key insights from the previous day’s Quality Assurance breakout discussions. We’ll share how manufacturers, laboratories, and inspection agencies responded to the five concept questions, highlighting areas where perspectives aligned and diverged. The goal is to reach a shared understanding of next steps, grounded in what all three groups shared.

NFRC Staff: Scott Hanlon, Director, Residential Programs

The energy efficiency and construction industries continue to evolve, creating new demands for performance data, product ratings, and technical information. To meet these changing needs, NFRC and the fenestration industry must adapt and innovate. One recent example is the Alternate Size Calculator, developed collaboratively by NFRC staff and members. This roundtable session is designed to gather input from members and stakeholders on future opportunities for NFRC ratings and information delivery related to thermal comfort, resilience, and other emerging ratings.

Participants will first see a demonstration of an LBNL comfort calculator currently in development and provide feedback on the design and possible uses. A discussion of potential new ratings, additional performance metrics, and innovative ways to present information that better serves builders, designers, code officials, and other key audiences will follow. Your feedback will help guide NFRC’s ongoing efforts to provide relevant, valuable, and accessible information to the marketplace.

Presenter: Robert Hart, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
NFRC Staff: Steve Urich, Director, Quality Assurance

This session will begin with an overview of the NFRC 715 commercial certification program, including its evolution, current framework, and implementation within the commercial fenestration market. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of the available certification pathways, the efficiencies the program introduces, and the benefits NFRC 715 offers manufacturers and project stakeholders. Attendees will then participate in roundtable discussions focused on industry challenges, opportunities to increase adoption, and ways NFRC can evolve its commercial offerings to meet emerging market needs.

NFRC Staff: Kevin Louder, Sr. Manager, Commercial Program

Performance based façade design increasingly requires that novel enclosure technologies be evaluated through transparent, repeatable testing methodologies that extend beyond prescriptive assumptions and address long term mechanical and environmental demands. Vacuum insulating glass (VIG) systems offer high thermal resistance at reduced overall thickness, presenting opportunities for advanced façade applications where space constraints and energy performance objectives are critical. However, their use within a performance based framework necessitates an understanding of durability related behavior under repeated wind loading, imposed thermal differentials, and combined loading conditions representative of service environments.

Drawing on full-scale laboratory testing, Tony will present the results of a comprehensive experimental program evaluating VIG durability through cyclic pressure loading, sustained thermal conditioning, and combined thermal-mechanical loading.

What do you think will be the key challenge for the widespread adoption of VIG in building facades: durability, manufacturing, cost, or something else? How might the long-term durability of Vacuum Insulating Glass influence future considerations for NFRC testing, validation, and certification of emerging fenestration technologies?

Presenter: Tony Cinnamon, Associate Principal, Wiss, Janney, Elstner (WJE)
NFRC Staff: Steve Urich, Director, Quality Assurance

Committee Chair: Kevin Vilhauer, Vice President, Product Engineering, MITER Brands
Vice Chair: Doug Hauck, Sr. Technical Services Engineer, Quanex Building Products
NFRC Staff: Mike Thoman, Director, Technology
Dennis Anderson, Sr. Manager, Programs

See: Meeting Resources for agendas, ballots, and minutes