Introduction: NFRC Label Guide for Windows and Doors
The NFRC label is a crucial reference point when shopping for new windows and doors. While it may initially appear as a complex matrix of colors, numbers, and symbols, understanding its significance is essential for making informed decisions. This guide will demystify the NFRC label, ensuring you select the best energy-efficient windows and doors for your home.
Understanding the NFRC and Fenestration
The NFRC, or National Fenestration Rating Council, is a non-profit entity responsible for creating and overseeing energy-related rating and certification programs specifically for windows, doors, and skylights.
What in the world is Fenestration?
If you are like me, you need to call Merriam-Webster. Their online dictionary defines fenestration as: “the arrangement, proportioning, and design of windows and doors in a building.”
Decoding the NFRC Label: What Does It Mean?
The NFRC label provides standardized information about a product’s energy efficiency, allowing homeowners to understand the specifics and compare. Here’s a breakdown of the five main factors on the NFRC label:
- U-Factor—The insulating value of the entire window system (glass, frame, etc). Lower numbers mean better insulating value, with values generally ranging from 0.25 to 1.25. (REMEMBER: LOWER = BETTER INSULATION)
- Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC)—The amount of solar heat passing through the glass. Lower numbers mean the glass is preventing heat from the sun into your home, measured on a scale of 0 to 1. (REMEMBER: LOWER = COOLER)
- Visible Transmittance—The amount of light passing through the glass. Higher numbers mean more light comes through the glass into your home, measured on a scale of 0 to 1. (REMEMBER: LOWER = LESS LIGHT)
- Air Infiltration (or Air Leakage)—How much air is entering or escaping through the window system. Lower numbers mean less air is entering or escaping. (REMEMBER: LOWER = LESS LEAKAGE/ TIGHTER SEAL)
- Condensation Resistance—The amount of moisture it takes for condensation to appear on the glass when exposed to extreme temperature changes. Higher numbers indicate better resistance to condensation, measured on a scale of 0 to 100. (REMEMBER: HIGHER = LESS CONDENSATION)
Energy Star Certification and NFRC Labels
While understanding the NFRC label is beneficial, recognizing the Energy Star logo simplifies the decision-making process. Energy Star Certified products, when installed correctly, enhance a home’s energy efficiency. Features like tighter seals and effective solar heat blocking ensure optimal temperature regulation, leading to reduced HVAC usage and lower energy bills.
In Louisiana, for a window, door, or skylight to be Energy Star Certified, it must have a U-Factor Rating of less than 0.20 and an SHGC under 0.25.
Choose Jim Olivier Home Improvement for NFRC-Rated Products
There are many more details we can dive into, but that’s more than enough code for one blog post. We hope the NFRC label is a little easier to understand the next time you go shopping for your windows and doors.
If you still feel lost, and you’d rather let the experts worry about all the coefficients, transmittance, and everything else, REMEMBER THIS:
All the doors and windows installed by Jim Olivier Home Improvement are Energy Star Certified and made right here in the US. By exclusively using ProVia windows and doors, we trust that their materials, design, and energy-efficiency enhancements provide homeowners with high-quality products.
Our windows and doors are independently tested, certified, and verified by the NFRC. Though we offer a variety of styles and colors, we only install NFRC-rated doors and windows that meet strict Environmental Protection Agency’s energy-efficiency guidelines.
When you call Jim Olivier’s, you know you’ll get the highest quality product and installation, along with your Red Carpet Experience, so you can love your home again.
