AERC Marks Research and Organizational Milestones

AERC Marks Research and Organizational Milestones

NEW YORK (June 16, 2020) – The Attachments Energy Rating Council (AERC) recently held its semi-annual members meeting, gathering an influential group of representatives from government and research organizations, leading manufacturers, and utilities. The 2-day virtual event featured engaging presentations, including:

  • New research findings presented by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL);
  • Discussions on utility programs and collaborations by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Association (NEEA) and Consolidated Edison of New York; and
  • A range of operational and marketing updates.

The group also approved a new AERC Energy Performance Certificate for Commercial Secondary Window Products, culminating months of research and process development in a standard made available for companies to certify their products.

“The latest meeting of AERC members marked significant milestones for our organization,” said Ralph Vasami, Executive Director of AERC. “We not only shared results of the latest research and field-test studies, but also were able to facilitate important discussions among participants, showcasing our growing impact on energy efficiency. On behalf of our staff and members, I’d like to thank all those who contributed to this meeting’s success.”

A complete list of session recaps are as follows:

AERC Marketing Committee Update

This presentation updated the group on marketing and consumer awareness initiatives AERC achieved during the first half of 2020 and set out targets for the remainder of the year. Highlights included completion and approval of the commercial secondary window certificate, progress made on refreshing the residential label, a review of media pitches, and the presentation of recruitment and educational materials.

Findings from National Lab Field Studies on Interior and Exterior Shades

Presenters included representatives from AERC’s national lab partners, Katie Cort from PNNL and Mahabir Bhandari from ORNL, who previewed yet-to-be-published research on energy savings. The study conducted by PNNL measured the energy savings of exterior roller shades against interior vinyl shades. ORNL measured the impact of cellular shades on heating energy consumption in residential buildings, along with a discussion of ways to extend the performance of a limited set of attachment field validation to performance for other locations using a calibrated model. The study conducted on a residential home in Knoxville, TN used single cell light filtering cellular shades, cell-in-cell blackout cellular shades, single cell blackout cellular shades, and insulating shades with side rails. The initial results of this study found that in all test cases over a 24 hour period the shades helped save between 18 and 37%.

Commercial Secondary Window Utility Pilots

Presenters included Moshfiq Islam and Mei Poon from Consolidated Edison of New York and Natalie Hatheway from NEEA, who shared details of upcoming pilots and field tests. The presentation provided a detailed look at how they allocated internal resources toward the program, the design and incentives developed and launched, and what they expect to achieve.

AERC Utility Working Group Meeting

This session provided updates on the AERC’s engagement with utility companies to secure additional rebate and incentive programs using window attachment products and AERC member companies. Three utilities have pilots scheduled to launch by the end of fiscal year 2020.

Effects of COVID-19 on Workplace Sustainability

This interactive group discussion addressed current and anticipated impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic, including how people will work, what layout changes offices may undergo, and what changes to building infrastructure may be required. The group also addressed effects of these workplace changes on sustainability.

For more information about the AERC Energy Rating Program, or to find the right energy-efficient window attachment(s) for your building, visit the AERC Certified Product Database at www.aercenergyrating.org. The product search allows you to enter your product preferences, and then shows products that best fit your needs.

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June 16, 2020