In the December 2012 issue of Windsor World, we reported on the government's latest update to Energy Star Version 6.0. At that time, the u-value criteria in all climate zones were being lowered — the northern zone going from 0.30 to 0.27 — and with Version 6.0 slated to take effect in January 2014. Since December, there has been a tremendous amount of activity and feedback for the government, specifically the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which oversees the Energy Star program.
Much of the feedback is directed toward opposition to the northern zone u-value, as well as the implementation date. The EPA is being urged to relax the northern zone u-value from 0.27 to at least 0.28. There are also requests for the implementation date to be pushed back to January 2015.
Justification for relaxing the northern zone u-value is centered on the value and payback benefits of modifying the program per the 6.0 criteria. Simply put, it does not pencil out. When applying the version 6.0 u-value improvements to a ResFen model (which calculates energy savings based on a specific set of parameters and u-value improvement), a 2,000 sq. ft. house located in Des Moines, IA, with 300 square feet of windows (15%) shows an annual savings of $14.29 when the window u-value lowers from 0.30 to 0.27.
Achieving a 0.27 u-value in some window products, specifically aluminum clad windows, will require triple glazing. When you consider the additional cost of going from standard two-pane Low-E 366 IG to triple glazing relative to the annual energy savings of $14.29, the payback is in excess of 40 years.
Organizations such as AAMA and WDMA are actively lobbying the EPA to step back and look at the facts which support maintaining the current Energy Star criteria. By lowering the U-value to 0.27 in the northern zone, which represents almost half the United States, the EPA is forcing the requirements for Energy Star windows to a point where products would become so expensive the average consumer would not be able to recoup the additional cost in a reasonable amount of time.
A letter has been authored by a bipartisan group of 23 Congressmen to President Obama urging the administration to "reexamine the proposed Energy Star specifications for windows, doors and skylights to ensure they are consistent with the guiding principles of the program."
While Windsor applauds the efforts of the EPA in promoting energy conservation, we feel it needs to be in a cost effective manner. Windsor stands with AAMA and WDMA in supporting and preserving the current Energy Star program criteria.