The Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA), in collaboration with the US Department of Energy, has launched the Attachments Energy Ratings Council (AERC).
Fenestration attachments are a way to reduce energy use in buildings. DOE has awarded WCMA cost-shared funding to develop a certification and rating program for residential and commercial fenestration attachment products.
To that end, WCMA has established the AERC, which will design and administer a new energy rating and certification program for the fenestration attachment products. AERC will gather market and technical data that will be used to develop credible rating, certification, labeling, and performance verification procedures that will be adopted by the window attachments industry.
During the next 4 years, the AERC will:
- Prioritize which product types and performance indices it will produce.
- Characterize the key material properties of window attachment products (i.e. transmittance, reflectance, and emissivity).
- Conduct product performance simulations.