DOE's Ervin Briefed on Advanced Glazing Research and Industrial Partnerships

DOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Christine Ervin recently got a first-hand look at Berkeley Lab's energy efficiency research and the industrial partnerships that help make it possible.

During her visit, Ervin was briefed on the latest advanced windows research by Building Technologies Program Head Steve Selkowitz and researchers Mike Rubin and Dariush Arasteh.

As a highlight of the briefing, a sample of low-emissivity glass was presented to Ervin by Mike Koenig of Andersen Corp., and Jim Larsen of Cardinal IG. The one-square foot sample of low-e (low-emissivity) window glazing, which represented the one billionth square foot sold, was intended to acknowledge the broad industry partnership with DOE over the last 15 years, which has lead to new markets for low-e glass and windows, and consumer energy savings of over $1.7 billion.

Koenig, who chairs NFRC's technical committee, and Larsen, who chairs the annual energy committee, described the latest advances in the National Fenestration Rating Council's (NFRC) rating and labeling program, and displayed a window bearing the NFRC label. Larsen focused on the importance of the newly developed Annual Energy Rating, which for the first time will provide a potential buyer with a comparative indicator of annual heating and cooling costs. Berkeley Lab researchers are directly supporting these efforts with the development of the computer tool RESFEN, which calculates a supplemental energy rating number.

An electrochromic prototype "smart window" from a recently launched electrochromics initiative was unveiled during Ervin's visit. The prototype, a key milestone for the first six months of the 50/50 DOE-industry cost-sharing program, was presented by Steve Sapers, Optical Coating Laboratory, Inc. (OCLI), who developed it in partnership with Andersen and Cardinal IG.