DOE Requests CEE Help to Transform Windows Market

CEE will be ramping up its support of work to advance market adoption of high performance windows thanks to a grant from the Department of Energy.

At the CEE June Program Meeting, DOE Technology Development Manager Marc LaFrance made a presentation regarding the Department’s work to develop markets for highly insulating windows. “CEE and its members can play a pivotal role in bringing widespread, affordable, highly insulating windows into the marketplace,” announced LaFrance. DOE believes that energy efficiency programs have a key role to play in developing this market, which led them to propose funds to support CEE work in this area.

CEE work to date on energy efficient windows has been largely limited to participating in ENERGY STAR^® specification revisions. With expanded financial support, CEE proposes to allocate the equivalent of a full time staff person to facilitate a forum of program administrator members in proactively exploring development of advanced performance specifications for highly insulating windows.

CEE will begin research on windows technologies, the windows market, and existing energy efficiency program activity in support of windows. Early work will also include outreach to members regarding their perceived needs for future specification levels to enable program activity along with educational activities to inform efficiency programs of relevant issues. Facilitating the consensus development process in CEE committee meetings should result in more informed valuable positions for future specifications and programs.

If you are interested in joining CEE windows work, please contact Margie Lynch at mlynch at cee1.org or 617-337-9277.