The Glass and Glazing Industry Took One Step Closer to Developing Product Category Rules

The glass and glazing industry took one step closer to developing product category rules for windows during the American Architectural Manufacturers Association National Fall Conference in Albuquerque, N. M., yesterday. Product category rules (PCR) serve as the basis for environmental product declarations—also known as eco-labels—that disclose the life cycle environmental performance of a product. These labels will become increasingly important as green building codes move to requiring life cycle assessment (LCA): A measure of the total energy impact of a product (or building) throughout its life. In current green building codes, life cycle assessment is optional; However, LCA could be mandatory in the next revision cycle, industry experts say. AAMA is working with the Glass Association of North America, Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance, and Window and Door Manufacturers Association to draft product category rules for windows; The joint task group is currently reviewing the eighth draft of the PCR. "We're about to embark on some very important reviews, " said Rich Walker, AAMA president and CEO, during the Joint Window PCR Task Group update, October 15. "The PCR will have a review panel selected by the joint task group. As the PCR become final, environmental product declarations will be generated by manufacturers—which will also need to be verified, as well as the LCA—by a group of peers, " he told the group. In response to an attendee's concern that these labels could be difficult for "laymen" to interpret, Walker agreed that education will be necessary. "If you put these [EPDs] in front of the consumer right now, they wouldn't mean much. But eventually, there will be understanding as to what is good and what is bad in each of these EPD categories, " he said. Source: glassmagazine