Fenestration Conversations

Natural Resources Canada is working on a new label that will be required to be displayed on manufactured window products that are shipped across provincial borders or imported into Canada. The label would display the same energy efficiency information as NFRC, CSA and Energy Star labels, and could act to replace them if the manufacturer desired. Adam Buist is helping to develop the new label and joins Fenestration Conversations to explain the work, explore the benefits and challenges, and update us on the status of the project.

Adam invites questions and outreach at [email protected].

Fenestration Review’s article about the program here: https://www.fenestrationreview.com/one-label-to-rule-them-all/

New standards for energy efficiency and low carbon impact in construction are demanding new skills in the trades – skills your young workers might be more familiar with than you are. Chad Flinn, associate vice-president of academics at Red Deer Polytechnic, and Judi Varga-Toth, manager of the ImpAct-Climate program at Colleges and Institutes Canada, are working to educate today’s construction industry in how to design and install the elements of net zero buildings. Learning needs to be ongoing in this time of rapid change, and Flinn and Varga-Toth share insights and free online resources in this episode of Fenestration Conversations.

The steadily rising concern with environmental protection has brought concerns about the amount of plastic we put into landfills and oceans. Durable plastic products, such as vinyl window frames, are in danger of being swept up in government efforts to mitigage these risks. Tony Vella of Vision Extrusions Group and chair of the Vinyl Insitute of Canada has been working hard to educate decision-makers about the difference between durable PVC and single-use plastics. He joins the Conversation to let us know about the proposed federal Plastics Registry, the state of play with the issue generally and his efforts to bring some sanity to the public discussion.

By Anton Van Dyk’s count, there are now up to 15 separate areas where fenestration products have to demonstrate compliance to one regulatory regime or another. Embodied carbon will soon become another, yet both end users and manufacturers have been slow to understand things like Environmental Product Declarations and how they will affect product development. Van Dyk and Layton think the approach to lowering the carbon cost of our buildings has created confusion. They join the podcast to outline their vision for how we should go forward.

When information technology is the topic, media outlets across the country turn to Carmi Levy to explain what is going on and give them the deep background on the issues. So we invited him to the Conversation to share some very practical advice on how to think about your IT department and personnel and how to source and vet providers that will make your life and business better, not worse. Choosing the right people, in-house versus outsourcing, common pitfalls to avoid, how to choose the right product, what to expect from a vendor – Levy has seen it all and we discuss it all.

Terry Adamson, technical director for Fenestration Canada, joins The Conversation to preview the proposed changes to the National Building Code related to window and doors. Wider door openings for accessibility…tighter air tightness…solar heat gain requirements…upper storey window fall protection…glazing guard loads…it’s all here in an information-dense download.

Cornerstone, owner of Ply Gem and Northstar, has made some significant investments to double capacity in several key manufacturing areas including insulating glass and extrusions. Marketing manager Richard Hill joins the Conversation to tell us what they did, why they did it and where they hope it takes the company in the future.

As executive director of the Canadian Association of Consulting Energy Advisors, Cindy Gareau has been intimately involved with the federal Greener Homes Initiative rebate program for energy-efficient home upgrades and other rebate programs across the country. She joins Fenestration Conversations to update us on the status of the program and what led to its sooner-than-expected demise at the start of this year. She also has many valuable perspectives on rebate programs in general and the role of energy advisors in Canada’s ongoing project to upgrade the energy performance of housing. Plus some breaking news about the possibility of a Greener Homes 2.0!

Note: A correction has been added to this podcast at the end. Please note the deadline for energy advisor pre-audit submissions to Greener Homes Grants through Enbridge in Ontario was Feb. 5. Fenestration Review regrets the error.

Our fast-changing world of tightening energy standards and embodied carbon is challenging us all to look at different design approaches and different materials. Enter a true Canadian glass innovator – Advanced Glazings in Sydney, N.S., and their Solera and SoleraWall products that use an aerogel fill to make translucent architectural glass products with energy performance similar to vacuum insulated glass. CEO Satterwhite and founder and president Milburn join the podcast to explain aerogel; discuss the performance characteristics; talk about how daylighting can meet esthetic, health and energy conservation needs; and reveal how they have found success with a product few glass companies in the world have the expertise to make.

Another year has gone by and it’s time for a high-level view of our business conditions and results in 2023. Marvin Cruz, research director, and Christina Santini, national affairs director, for the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses join Fenestration Conversations to tell us what they are hearing from small and medium-sized businesses across the country. We hit inflation, labour shortages, regulations and red tape, credit card fees, housing and more. Happy holidays to everyone and all the best for 2024!