Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/173118
IN/BOX ATI's Washington Site Receives NFRC Accreditation The Architectural Testing Inc. (ATI) Kent, WA, laboratory has been accredited by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) to perform thermal tests for determining the thermal transmittance of window and door products in accordance with NFRC 102, which specifies the methods used. The Kent facility brings to four the total of ATI thermal test chambers nationwide. It also is the second thermal test chamber positioned in the Pacific time zone along with a laboratory in Fresno, CA. Additional chambers are located in St. Paul, MN, and York, PA. Founded in 1975, Architectural Testing, Inc. (ATI) is a leading ISO/IEC 17025 accredited building products testing laboratory providing more than 2,000 defined test protocols at one or more of its 14 full-service laboratories. Exterior Window Products for Energy Savings Fifteen roll shutter, shade and awning experts representing or invited by the Exterior Shade & Shutter Association (ESSA) visited the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA, in mid-July to confer on the effectiveness of window attachments to save energy. The group met with researchers at LBNL's Environmental Energy Technologies Division and toured the facility to get a firsthand look at the testing and standard setting performed there. Discussions regarding the harvesting of daylight and solar heat gain by using dynamic shutters, shades and awnings in the winter months while controlling solar heat gain in summer months pointed to the superior energysaving value of these exterior window attachments. The industry leaders and researchers concurred that Department of Energy goals to achieve "net zero" energy use in residences in the coming years appear achievable when combining shutters, shades and awnings with photovoltaic systems. ESSA members and guests meet at LBNL to discuss using exterior window products to achieve net zero energy use in residences. 6 STORM & SECURITY PROTECTION / PEOPLE IN THE KNOW 2013