Market Transformation Efforts for Residential Energy Efficient Windows: An Update of National Activities

Publication Type

Conference Paper

Date Published

08/2000

Authors

Abstract

With the burst of recent initiatives to accelerate adoption of energy-efficient fenestration technologies in the marketplace, an update on window market transformation efforts is needed. Because of the impact of glazing on total home energy performance, the residential window market has received increasing attention over the past two years. National programs such as the ENERGY STAR Windows program, the Efficient Windows Collaborative, and regional initiatives such as the California Windows Initiative and the Northwest Collaborative have begun to move markets toward higher-efficiency windows. The results have included increasing sales of efficient products, stocking of more efficient/ENERGY STAR qualifying products, and price reductions of high-efficiency product, all of which secure dramatic energy savings at a national level. This paper takes stock of publicly supported national and regional transformation efforts for residential windows underway in the U.S. In particular, it documents ways in which National Fenestration Rating Council certification, Efficient Windows Collaborative education, and ENERGY STAR marketing, are working together to change window markets across the United States. Although it is too early to quantify the national-level impacts changes of these efforts, the authors offer a preliminary qualitative evaluation of efficient window promotion efforts to gain insight into the broader impacts that these and other future activities will achieve. Finally, the paper summarizes how other federally-funded building industry initiatives that emphasize "whole house" performance can complement these window technology-specific and component-specific initiatives. Demonstration houses from the Building America, ENERGY STAR Homes, and PATH projects all contribute to the success of windows-specific initiatives.

Journal

ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings

Volume

2000

Year of Publication

2000

URL

Organization

Research Areas