READ THE NFRC LABEL

READING THE NFRC RATING LABEL ON YOUR NEW WINDOWS

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Any replacement window you purchase should come with a label from the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC). The NFRC is a program established by the U.S. Department of Energy to help consumers compare window products and options. Window manufacturers participating in the program are required to label every window to its specific thermal performance level. Customers are then ensured that the products they select meet the requirements for their application. Participation in the NFRC program is voluntary. Not all manufacturers participate because it requires outside third party inspection and extensive product testing. 

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The NFRC conducts testing and has established industry standards for rating the energy performance of replacement windows, including:

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U-Value

The most important measure of a window’s performance is its U-value. The U-value indicates the rate of heat flow through a window. The lower the U-value, the more energy efficient the window will be. U-value measures the entire window unit — glass, frame, sash, spacers — and is the only measurement accepted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s EnergyStar program.

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U-value depends on:

• Quality of the materials used

 

• Type of materials used

• Engineering and design of the window

• Quality of assembly
   

R-Value

R-value is the measure of the resistance of glass to the flow of heat. The higher the R-value, the better the glass will be at insulating your home. But R-value is NOT an accepted form of measurement by the NFRC or EnergyStar, as it does not measure the overall window unit.

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Solar Heat Gain Coefficient

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) measures how well a product blocks heat caused by sunlight. The SHGC is the fraction of incident solar radiation admitted through a window and absorbed and subsequently released inward. SHGC is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The lower a window's solar heat gain coefficient, the less solar heat it transmits.

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Visible Transmittance

Visible Transmittance  (VT) measures how much light comes through a product. The visible transmittance is an optical property that indicates the amount of visible light transmitted. VT is expressed as a number between 0 and 1.  The higher the VT, the more light is transmitted.

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Air Leakage*

Air Leakage (AL) is indicated by an air leakage rating expressed as the equivalent cubic feet of air passing through a square foot of window area (cfm/sq ft). Heat loss and gain occur by infiltration through cracks in the window assembly. The lower the AL, the less air will pass through cracks in the window assembly.

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Condensation Resistance*

Condensation Resistance (CR) measures the ability of a product to resist the formation of condensation on the interior surface of that product. The higher the CR rating, the better that product is at resisting condensation formation. While this rating cannot predict condensation, it can provide a credible method of comparing the potential of various products for condensation formation. CR is expressed as a number between 0 and 100.

*This rating is optional and manufacturers can choose not to include it.