Industry Standards

For the last several years, the NGA advocacy team has worked with other industry associations and public officials to successfully work new performance requirements for windows, doors and skylights into the ASHRAE 90.1 energy standard for buildings, which were approved in Spring 2019. Read more.

ASHRAE 90.1-2019, published in October 2019, includes the following revisions: 

• Updated commercial fenestration criteria  
• No reduction in window area 
• Increased daylighting controls  
• Cleared barriers for use of VIG in walk-in coolers and freezers 
• Commissioning requirements including more focus on air leakage 

ASHRAE 90.1 SSPC 90.1 Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings held their Spring Interim meetings in April and October 2021, where the NGA Advocacy Technical team represented the glass and glazing industry. The meetings included discussion of a simplified method for the design of buildings and building envelope materials.

ASTM Committee E06 on Performance of Buildings and Committee F12 on Security Systems and Equipment work group topics include Design of Glass Railings, Guards and Balustrades, Sealed Insulated Glass, Security Glazing, Glass Floors & Stairs, and Impact Resistance. Several security standards and glass strength standards were reviewed and updated in 2021. 

The NGA Advocacy Team participated in the ASTM E06 and ASTM C14 committee weeks in October 2021  and the Glass Strength meeting in January 2022. C14 updated and published several new standards for the glass industry.

• C1036-21 Standard Specification for Flat Glass
• C1901-21e2 Standard Test Method for Measuring Optical Retardation in Flat Architectural Glass
• C1914-21 Standard Test Method for Bake and Boil Testing of Laminated Glass
• New Test Method for Bird Collision Deterrence Material Threat Factor (working through negatives)
• Pummel Adhesion testing of two-ply laminated architectural glass (will be published)
• Center-Punch Fragmentation of Fully Tempered Glass (working through negatives)

NGA’s Thirsty Thursday session Standards for Laminated Glass addresses the latest updates to ASTM standards affecting laminated glass. Watch a recording of the session.

NGA has submitted comments designed to promote and protect new and current glass technologies in Canada’s CSA A460 standard, which covers bird-friendly building design in both new construction and existing buildings. Learn more. 

Download Bird-Friendly Glass Design Strategies for further information on glazing designs to protect birds. 

Over the years, scientists and citizen scientists dedicated to bird conservation have amassed a significant body of knowledge on causes and prevention of bird collision with glazing structures. A set of simple design principles has been demonstrated to be effective at reducing the risk of bird strikes through tests, studies and research that support a prescriptive approach to bird collision deterrence. Download Best Practices for Bird-Friendly Glazing Design Guide to learn more.

United States Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm announced new Department of Energy initiatives to help reduce emissions and energy inefficiency in residential and commercial buildings, including availability of highly efficient windows. Read the press release.

In February 2022, the EPA released the ENERGY STAR Version 7.0 Residential Window, Door, and Skylight Draft 2 Specification. NGA’s advocacy team has been involved with the Energy Star process from the start and filed comments in support of the proposed update which will promote higher performance glazing in all parts of the country, including triple pane glazing and 4th surface low-E in the north.

EPA and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory completed over 600,000 new analysis runs which confirmed the prior energy analysis and actually showed improved payback periods. As a result, EPA is maintaining the proposed prescriptive window criteria, and only making small changes to the northern equivalent energy performance levels as well as combining the sliding and swinging glass door criteria.

In July 2022, EPA announced final criteria for Energy Star version 7.0. NGA energy consultant Tom Culp of Birch Point Consulting reported at NGA Glass Conference: Chicago that the final comment period runs through Aug. 10, 2022, but no further changes are expected.

Implementation will begin one year after completion, likely in September 2023. Version 7.0 will significantly decrease U-values which will push triple glazing and 4th surface low-e in the north and north-central climate zones, and the latest generation triple silver low-e in the south and south-central climate zones to meet lower SHGC criteria.

For more information, read an analysis of triple-pane glazing. 

ISO International Standards Organization Technical Committee 160: Glass in Buildings held a meeting of the Chairman Advisory Group (CAG) on April 12, 2021. The CAG discussed updates to ISO TC 160 standards for Glass in Buildings including BIPV, dynamic glazing and glass strength.

While current building codes do not require security glazing in schools, a growing number of school districts nationwide are looking to meet voluntary security glazing standards to provide additional protection for their buildings. NGA is participating in a multi-industry effort with the National Fire Protection Association, ASTM International and ICC to provide guidance in this effort. In addition, NGA presented this topic as part of its Thirsty Thursday webinar series and published a glass technical paper on school security in February 2021. NGA’s school security task group drafted a consensus-based, repeatable test standard that is currently at ballot at ASTM.