New Energy Star rules r ;t door/window sellers rmpa(

LTew cHANcES wrrH Energy Star I \ mean new concerns for dealers and distributors of residential windows, doors and skylights, particularly those that offer installation services or referrals.

Energy Star version 6.0 went into effect Jan. I ,2015, except in the extreme-weather zone of the Northeast, which was given an additional year to comply.

According to John Jervis, managing director of AWDI, LLC (American Window & Door Institute), there are three main changes. First, there's an increase in performance criteria for windows, doors and skylights.

Second, instead of being marked "Energy Star Qualified," products will now be labeled "Energy Star Certified."

The primary reason, says Jervis, "is to promote the proper use of the Energy Star brand. A lot of manufacturers who aren't Energy Star partners advertise that their products 'meet all the requirements of Energy Star Qualified,' to imply they are partners."

The word "certified" provides far less interpretation than "qualified." Jervis says, "Probably a third of all fabricators in the U.S. making vinyl windows for retrofit are Energy Star participants. A third say their products meet Energy Star, which implies they have a label-that they often display in their ads and literature-but they do not. A third don't bother at all. The change should force the middle group to be more honest."

Third-and most pertinent for dealers and distributors-detailed installation instructions, covering eight spe- cific areas, must be provided for all Energy Star windows, doors and skylights, either packaged with the window or readily available for online viewing.

The instructions are so detailed that supplying them at the point of purchase is impractical. Jervis says the standard industry install document is 90 pages long. "I don't know how you staple that to every window," he says.

Confusion may still arise over which website to head to-the retailer's. the distributor's. or the manufacturer's?-particularly if the retailer markets products as its own brand.

"To be safe, if the retailer sells windows as part of an 'at home service' and collects the consumer's money, they may want to put the requisite instructions on their website," Jervis offers.

He suggests the company responsible is the one that offers the warranty. But, to make it easier for Energy Star partners to comply, AWDI has launched an online library of compliant instructions (wixsys.com) to which manufacturers and retailers can link and have assurance from the EPA that they are compliant. Energy Star 6.0 partners can license the AWDI library and gain a QR code that they can place on their products. putting consumers a scan away from the site.

Retailers, fearing they could conceivably be held liable for incorrectly installed products, can also benefit from the online portal. They can have a QR code affixed to their retail shelf.

"The window won't work right if it's not installed right," Jervis says. "The goal of the Energy Star mandate is to now have qualified products installed well."

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By Christine Marvin, Marvin Windows