Wausau achieves NFRC ACE certification

Wausau, Wis.-based Wausau Window and Wall Systems’ design engineers, John Kolbeck and Tom Mifflin, are among the first manufacturers to earn Approved Calculation Entity certification through the National Fenestration Ratings Council (NFRC). “As a front-runner in ACE certification, Wausau can provide a significant comfort factor to our customers, who are struggling to understand new energy code requirements,” Kolbeck said. “While NFRC labels are currently mandated only in California and Washington, we foresee nationwide adoption in the future.” ACE-certified users analyze performance data for commercial fenestration energy ratings. Accessing NFRC’s Component Modeling Approach software tool, CMAST, they review libraries of approved frames, glass and spacer components. These libraries help users configure fenestration products for a project, and allow them to obtain a U-factor, solar heat gain coefficient and visible transmittance rating for those products. Performance values are then compared to the energy requirements of local codes, such as California’s Title 24, to determine compliance. “Many Wausau products are already listed in NFRC’s Certified Products Directory, applicable to factory-glazed windows and sliding glass doors. CMA ACE certification keeps us at the forefront of emerging industry trends in energy-efficiency of curtainwall systems,” Mifflin noted. Already familiar with THERM 5.2, which accurately predicts U-factors, as well as surface temperatures of glass and non-conductive framing materials, Kolbeck and Mifflin attended NFRC training for the CMA software tool in Baltimore. Based on their knowledge and past experience, they successfully passed a rigorous online examination to earn their ACE certification. “Having completed the ACE training and testing, John and Tom can carry out performance calculations. They are qualified to generate NFRC label certificates for each product assembly used on a project for code-compliant purposes,” said NFRC’s CMA Program manager, Jessica Ferris.