The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) is a third-party organization which establishes objective window, door & skylight energy performance ratings to help you compare products and make informed purchase decisions. The NFRC is committed to advancing continuous improvement of windows, doors, & skylights, contributing to making buildings more comfortable and energy efficient.

All manufacturers enrolled in the NFRC testing process have their products tested for performance standards like: U-Factor, Visible Transmittance, Solar Heat Gain Coefficient, Air Leakage & Condensation ratings. All NFRC certified products can be found in their directory: https://search.nfrc.org/search/Searchdefault.aspx

Additionally, all our product’s ratings can be found in the chart below.

U-Factor – measures how well a product can keep heat from escaping from the inside of a room. The lower the number, the better a product is at keeping heat in. Range: 0.20-1.20 Look for: Low numbers

Visible Transmittance – measures how well a product is designed to effectively light your home with daylight, potentially saving you money on artificial lighting. The higher the number, the more natural light is let in. Range: 0-1 Look for: High numbers

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient – measures how well a product can resist unwanted heat gain, which is especially important during summer cooling season. The lower the number, the less you’ll spend on cooling. Range: 0-1 Look for: Low numbers

Air Leakage – measures how much air will enter a room through a product. The lower the number, the fewer drafts you’ll experience. Range:  ≤ 0.3  Look for: Low numbers

CPD Number – Every NFRC tested product is assigned a correspondent number. This CPD number can be used to reference the product throughout the NFRC certified product directory. Additionally, all products are assigned specific CPD numbers for each glass type used during production. Format: NEW-A-X-XXXXX-XXXXX

Energy Star

Energy Star is the trusted, government-backed symbol for energy efficiency helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices. NFRC works directly with Energy Star to certify applicable products. Products who exceed or meet necessary requirements are eligible to be Energy Star Certified. It is best to always purchase Energy Star approved products when available. Windows, doors and skylights protect you from the elements just like a winter coat. But like a winter coat, you should pick the windows, doors and skylights that make the most sense for your climate. Most windows are manufactured for certain regions in mind. While some windows, doors and skylights are better at keeping you warm, others excel at keeping you cool.

The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) is the leading trade organization for Window Manufacturers and industry professionals. AAMA works alongside the FGIA (Fenestration & Glazing Industry Alliance) to offer a third-party service product certification program which holds manufacturers to the highest standard of products, manufacturing processes, materials, and quality. Manufacturers partake in a standardized product testing process which rates products on aspects from Structural Integrity, Air Leakages, Design Pressures, Thermal Transmittances, Insulation, & More.

To receive the highest standard of Gold Label, Products much achieve certain ratings during the testing process. Additionally, while manufacturing, AAMA Members must adhere to specific detailed processes, quality control checks, & verified component lists. Guaranteeing all AAMA certified products are built to the highest of standards. During the construction process, many architects and building departments may require AAMA certified products. As their certification speaks for the quality of product itself. All of Northeast’s products are Certified Gold Label.

Performance Class (PC) roughly describes the target application for the window or door. There are four types of Performance Classes:

R – Residential – Commonly used in one- & two-family dwellings

LC – Light Commercial – Commonly used in low-rise & mid-rise multi-family dwellings

CW – Commercial – Commonly used is low- & mid-rise buildings

AW – Architectural – Commonly used in mid- & high-rise buildings

Each class requires a different size window to be tested. The higher the rating, the larger the test size.

Performance Grade (PG) is a uniform classification system given to products that meet all elements of the testing process (air infiltration, water, & structural components). PG ratings take all aspects of testing into account while classifying a value.

Design Pressure is a numerical value given to a building component that represents its ability to withstand a given wind load. DP ratings represent three performance elements during testing – structural load, water resistance, & air infiltration resistance. A higher DP value indicates a window or door that can withstand more wind, water, & structural loads than lower values.

A window with a DP rating of 50 has passed testing for:

-Wind pressure equating to 75 pounds per square foot (200 MPH winds).

-Water performance of 8” of rain driven at 50 MPH.

-Withstood air infiltration at 25 MPH for long durations of time.

Water Resistance measures a window or doors ability to resist water penetration. This is measured by exposing the window to various water loads at different wind speeds for specific durations of time. To achieve AAMA Gold label Standard, windows must resist water infiltration of winds up to 32 MPH.

Air infiltration measures a windows ability to resist air leaking through a window or door. Air infiltration is measured by exposing the window to various wind loads. To achieve AAMA Gold Label Standard, windows must achieve less than or equal to 0.30 cubic feet per minute.

Uniform Structure Load is measured by exposing the window or door to a specific set of positive and negative pressures. These pressures are pre-determined based off the Performance Class being tested. Windows with a higher-Class rating are subject to stronger loads than lower classified products. To pass, the window cannot move above a specific measurement while exposed to the tested load.  Unform Structure Load exposes the unit to positive pressures, Uniform Deflection Load exposes the unit to negative pressures.

Forced entry test methods are set by the ASTM International. Forced entry measures the products ability to restrain, delay or frustrate forced entry. They are tested by exposing the window and components to given amounts of force. All of Northeast’s products perform to a level of ten (10).

All our Gold Label Classified products are permanently labeled within the header on each window & door. Feel free to look for your label on your own product!