Information · Ratings, Codes & Certifications
Ratings, Codes & Certifications
Ratings, Codes & Certifications
A window can be described by many acronyms. They fall into three groups, and it helps to know which is which:
- Energy codes are mandatory. They set the minimum a building must meet, and the local building department enforces them. In the U.S. that is usually a version of the IECC or ASHRAE 90.1; in Canada, the National Building Code and the National Energy Code for Buildings, as adopted by each province.
- Ratings are how a window proves what it does. NFRC ratings are the U.S. and Canadian standard way to state a window’s U-factor, solar heat gain and visible transmittance, and they are what codes and ENERGY STAR rely on.
- Certifications are voluntary, and go further. LEED rates the whole building’s sustainability. Passive House, through the Passive House Institute or Phius, sets far stricter energy targets than any code.
| What it is | Mandatory? | Who it matters to | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy codes | Minimum energy requirements for buildings | Yes, where adopted | Every project |
| NFRC ratings | Standard whole-window performance ratings and label | Usually, to show code compliance | Specifiers, code officials, energy modelers |
| ENERGY STAR | Voluntary efficiency label for residential windows | No | Homeowners, utility rebate programs |
| LEED | Green-building rating for the whole building | No (sometimes required by owners or cities) | Owners, architects, sustainability consultants |
| Passive House & Phius | Very-low-energy building standards | No (required by some stretch codes and funding programs) | Passive House designers, CPHCs, verifiers, raters |
NFRC & ENERGY STAR
What the NFRC label measures, how ratings are made, and the current ENERGY STAR criteria.
LEED
How windows contribute to LEED v4.1 and LEED v5: energy, daylight, views, comfort and embodied carbon.
Passive House & Phius
The two Passive House standards, how they differ, and what each asks of a window.
Which Rating Applies?
NFRC, Phius, PHI and CSA compared for houses, multifamily, hotels, labs and commercial buildings in the U.S. and Canada.
Energy Codes, U.S. & Canada
How codes are written, adopted and enforced, where they are strict and where they are absent, and where they are heading.
Codes by State, Province & City
Energy codes, stretch codes, Passive House policy and wind conditions in key U.S. markets, Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver.
Structural & Weather Ratings
NAFS testing for wind, water and air, and how coastal, hurricane and tornado locations raise the bar.