Industry Standards

The NGA advocacy team collaborates with other industry associations and public officials to successfully work on new performance requirements for windows, doors and skylights into the ASHRAE 90.1 energy standard for buildings. ASHRAE 90.1 is the most important code affecting commercial and highrise residential buildings, also referenced in federal law.

[September 2024] ASHRAE 90.1-2025 Development
In the upcoming 2025 version of ASHRAE 90.1, expect new climate maps with 9% of counties moving to warmer climate zone and 3% of counties moving to cooler climate zones. Climate zones are important because:

• All building criteria (U-factor, SHGC) are set based on project’s building location and climate zone. 
• Climate zones range from zone 0 (extremely hot) to zone 8 (subarctic / artic). 
• As the climate changes, the zones move. 
   

ASHRAE 90.1-2022, published in January 2023, includes the following revisions: 

• New on-site renewable energy requirements (PV, BIPV) 
• New thermal bridging requirements 
• New additional energy credits requirements, including credit for higher performance fenestration, shading, daylighting, on-site renewable energy. 
• New option for jurisdictions to use carbon emissions as alternative performance metric to energy cost. 
• No change in fenestration requirements this cycle (we updated in 2013, 2016, 2019). 
• Significant overall advancement – around 48% reduction compared to 90.1-2004.  Targeting net-zero in 2031.

NGA and ASTM Compilation
NGA collaborates with ASTM to co-publish ASTM Glass and Glazing Standards for the Building Industry. The compilation of 96 key ASTM standards includes forced-entry resistant systems, flat glass, glazing, building sealants, acoustics and fenestration products. For pricing and to purchase, contact ASTM sales by email or phone: 877-909-2786. 
 

The NGA Advocacy Team participates in the ASTM E06 Buildings, ASTM C14 Glass and F12 Security committee weeks and the Glass Strength meetings. ASTM regularly updates standards for the glass industry.

[April 2024] ASTM Publishes Update to ASTM E1300 Standard Practice for Determining Load Resistance of Glass in Buildings
Vertical and sloped glass in buildings is designed to resist wind and snow loads. Design professionals use ASTM E1300 Standard Practice for Determining Load Resistance of Glass in Buildings to determine the glass thickness and type required to meet specified loads. ASTM E1300 technical adviser Dr. Stephen Morse, PE, Associate Teaching Professor, Michigan Tech University presented updates to the standard at NGA Glass Conference: Isle of Palms | Charleston in February 2024. Read a summary of the changes in Window + Door Magazine - August 2024. 
The updated standard is now available to download from ASTM. 
 

New draft editions of CAN/CGSB 12.1 Safety glazing in English and French are open for public review until February 3, 2025. 

Ideas for consideration include how: 

• An increase in wildfires, especially in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), could affect glazing 
• An increase in temperature and solar exposure could affect the weathering test 
• An increase in debris/tornado loads could affect the impact test 
• An increase in temperature could affect the thermal test (e.g., product failure) 
• An increase in humidity could apply to the adhesion test, as water is the primary course of failure 

To participate, download the comment form, and submit all comments via email by February 3, 2025. 

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. 

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.

[April 2024] DOE Finalizes Standards That Decrease Emissions for New and Renovated Federal Buildings
The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it has delivered on Congress’s mandate to cut emissions from new or newly renovated federal buildings through the Clean Energy for New Federal Buildings and Major Renovations of Federal Buildings Rule. All new Federal buildings and major renovations have to go 30 percent beyond ASHRAE 90.1-2019 for commercial and 4+ story residential buildings, and 30 percent beyond the 2021 IECC for low-rise residential (1-3 story), or to the maximum percentage up to 30% that is life cycle cost effective.  Furthermore, with the recent official DOE determination that ASHRAE 90.1-2022 saves approximately 10% more energy than the prior version, the process has now started that will require Federal buildings to start using that newer edition in about a year.  
The new Federal building performance standard will also push building upgrades, including envelope, in existing Federal buildings. According to NGA Energy Code Tom Culp, Birch Point Consulting, “This is government leading by example with their own building stock, as codes and standards take longer to be adopted at the state level and in the private sector.”
 

[May 2021] 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.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized the Version 7.0 Energy Star Specification for Residential Windows, Doors and Skylights on Oct. 20, 2022. The new criteria went into effect on Oct. 23, 2023.

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.

Implementation began one year after completion, in October 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 “What companies should know as they prepare for the October implementation of Energy Star Version 7.0.”

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) P100 Facilities Standards sets the performance and prescriptive requirements for Federal Buildings. 
GSA is the largest landowner in the United States, and this is one of their documents that sets design and construction standards to cover architectural design, engineering systems, sustainability, security, and performance metrics. P100 is updated every 3 years; you can find the latest version on GSA's P100 webpage. 
 

[May 2024] The most relevant updates from the 2024 version are the Sustainability and Green Building Standards, aligning with the IgCC and other standards to promote energy-efficient glazing products. The inclusion of the ICC/MBI 1200 and 1205 standards for offsite construction, covering the entire lifecycle of modular construction including glazing and fenestration aspects. The 2024 version specifically establishes benchmarks for electrification, embodied carbon, energy efficiency, grid-interactive efficient buildings, water reuse, construction decarbonization, and labor practices. 

• Thermal Performance Requirements 
  • Stricter U-factor and SHGC requirements 
  • Expanded range requiring thermally broken frames: require full thermal breaks in zones 2-8, and at least thermally improved in zones 0-1.  
• Daylighting and Views- Encouraging use of glazing to maximize daylight, promote occupant comfort, and encourage energy savings. Continued reference of NGA Bird Friendly Design Guide.
• Security and Safety- Specific requirements for blast-resistant glazing in buildings that require higher safety measures 
• Sustainability and Green Building Standards - Alignment with the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) and other sustainability standards, promoting the use of energy-efficient glazing products (low-E coatings).
• Inclusion of ICC/MBI Standards - Incorporating the ICC/MBI 1200 and 1205 standards for off-site construction, covering the entire lifecycle of modular construction, including glazing and fenestration aspects. 
• Stricter Requirements for Fenestration Air Leakage
  • Air leakage standard tightened to 0.30 cfm/ft2  of window area at test pressure of 0.3in water 
  • Previous requirement was 0.40 cfm/ ft2
  • Expands verification testing requirements for air leakage
• Updated recommended options for historic buildings to include replacement windows, commercial secondary windows, low-e panels, VIG, low-e film, and automated insulated shading.
  
   

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, with updates in August 2024. NGA’s school security task group drafted a consensus-based, repeatable test standard, published as ASTM F3561-22 Standard Test Method for Forced-Entry-Resistance of Fenestration Systems After Simulated Active Shooter Attack.