In a joint effort, the Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA), the National Glass Association (NGA), and the Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) announce the release of a revolutionary Product Category Rule (PCR) for Fenestration Systems.
The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA), the National Glass Association (NGA), and the Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) have collaboratively introduced a game-changing Product Category Rule (PCR) for Fenestration Systems. This innovative PCR offers manufacturers a comprehensive framework for developing precise Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), crucial in today’s sustainability-driven market. EPDs enable manufacturers to transform third-party verified Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) into standardized declaration labels for fenestration products.
The newly unveiled PCR establishes a normalized “declared unit” as one square meter of fenestration assemblies, encompassing framing and glass components. Recognizing the diversity in fenestration manufacturing approaches, EPD results are disclosed both as a total fenestration system and separately for the frame and the glazing. This dual disclosure caters to manufacturers specializing in frame production or utilizing different glass types.
Kathy Krafka Harkema, FGIA U.S. Technical Operations Director, emphasizes the significance of this PCR in reporting and standardizing EPD information for fenestration systems. She notes that the well-defined industry PCR is essential for accurate comparisons in the sustainability-focused choices made by specifiers, architects, builders, and other EPD users.
Covering a broad spectrum, the PCR includes exterior-grade, finished, assembled fenestration assemblies like skylights, windows, curtain walls, storefronts, and doors. The document is a more comprehensive version, expanding its scope beyond the former Windows PCR, providing a valuable resource for stakeholders committed to sustainability.
The EPD results, derived from this PCR, outline the relative ratio of framing and glass based on National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) standard sizes and configurations before normalization. It’s important to note that these ratios may differ from project-specific sizes and configurations in a given building or group of buildings.
Urmilla Sowell, NGA Vice President of Technical Services and Advocacy, underscores the significance of this Fenestration PCR for the glass and glazing industry. It ensures companies can generate EPDs with updated sustainability rules, enhancing the industry’s commitment to environmental responsibility.
The new PCR for Fenestration Systems is now available, primarily intended for use in North America.
Source: FGIAonline.org with additional information added by GlassBalkan
