Committees Emphasize glass' contribution to sustainability, energy conservation at NGA Glass Conference: Tacoma

National Glass Association

Glass and glazing industry technical leaders gathered at the NGA Glass Conference: Tacoma, July 25-27.

Fabricating and Advocacy committees met at the conference, with an emphasis on how architectural glass can contribute to sustainability and energy conservation.

NGA FORMING COMMITTEE 

The Forming Committee gave updates on several sustainability initiatives, including global warming potential limits set by the Buy Clean California and Buy Clean Colorado programs. NGA will continue to work with stakeholders on these initiatives. Find resources and FAQs on these initiatives. NGA’s Recycling task group is working on educational tools explaining the math and science promoting recycling of architectural glass, and resources to help overcome roadblocks to recycling. 

GET INVOLVED

Submit case studies of successful architectural glass recycling 

NGA ADVOCACY COMMITTEE 

Committee members reviewed follow-up items from NGA Glass and Glazing Advocacy Days, held March 27-28, in Washington, DC. NGA members met with members of Congress, as well as representatives from the DOE and EPA, to make a positive connection for glass to legislators. Topics at the event were sustainability, school security, workforce development and bird-friendly glazing. Representative Morgan Griffith [R-VA] reintroduced the Federal Bird Safe Buildings Act (H.R. 3781) in June, and five representatives have cosponsored the bill. The bill directs the GSA to incorporate strategies to reduce bird fatality resulting from collisions with public buildings. 

GET INVOLVED

Ask your local representative to cosponsor H.R. 3781, 118th Congress (2023-2024) by sending out NGA’s one-pager Saving Birds with Effective Glass Solutions requesting legislators reference NGA’s Best Practice for Bird Friendly Glazing Design Guide in bird-friendly glazing legislation.  

Download the one-pager 

The Glazing Industry Code Committee (GICC) is working on building code proposals to address school security. GICC works directly with NGA’s code consultants to build greater knowledge and acceptance of architectural glass, glazing materials, and glazing systems as safe, efficient, effective, and economical construction products. If you are interested in joining GICC, contact Sara Neiswanger for details.

NGA’s Ad hoc strike force team responded to several requests for public comment in 2023, including the GSA request on Low Embodied Carbon Material Standards for the Inflation Reduction Act, and the DOE requests for input on Latest and Zero Building Energy Code Adoption and Challenges and Opportunities of Increasing Material Circularity. 

Read NGA’s Responses to Requests for Public Comment 

NGA FABRICATING COMMITTEE 

Launching this fall at GlassBuild America, MyGlassFabTM will provide consistent, accessible skills training for glass fabrication production personnel with educational courses plus hands-on activities. Spanish translations of NGA’s Glass Technical Papers (GTPs) on cleaning installed glass will be available soon. The translations were done to help promote the NGA and joint NGA/IWCA resources cautioning against cleaning heat-treated glass with a razor blade, which can scratch the glass. A new or modified impactor for ANSI Z97.1 is being considered to address concerns with lead shot and other potential improvements. NGA’s Installing Committee announced the new Frameless Shower Enclosures Design and Installation Manual available at a discounted price to NGA Members.   

ENERGY 

• Seeking additional volunteers to test and help shape the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) as a tool for benchmarking sustainability data. Email Georgia Scalfano to participate.

• The Flat Glass PCR is valid through September 2025. The Flat Glass EPD is valid through December 2024. The Processed Glass PCR expires December 2023. NGA and FGIA working with UL to update the PCR before the end of 2023. The Windows PCR (Fenestration PCR), a joint effort between NGA, FGIA and WDMA, is open for public comment until August 21, 2023. 

• A new AIA presentation on Daylighting passed ballot and will be available soon. NGA continues to update a Daylighting webpage, highlighting the health and wellness benefits of daylighting. The task group will begin drafting a new Thermal Comfort AIA presentation.

LAMINATED GLAZING 

• A task group is working to update the NGA Laminated Glazing Reference Manual. 

• Use of Glass in Guardrails (formerly Use of Laminated Glass in Glass Railing Systems) GTP has been updated to include IBC 2021 information and will be published soon.

FIRE-RATED GLAZING

• A new GTP Fire-Rated Glazing 101 will be published in August. 

• The task group will begin work on a new resource Wired Glass in Fire-Rated and Safety Glazing Applications. 

PROTECTIVE GLAZING

• NGA’s Code Consultant Nick Resetar of Roetzel & Andress presented Bird-Friendly Legislation focused on Federal, State, City, Province and local ordinances and voluntary programs in the United States and Canada. 

• NGA’s Urmilla Sowell moderated a panel discussion responding to NGA Member questions about school security applications and compliance with new State legislation. Darrell Smith of the International Window Film Association (IWFA) responded to questions about surface-applied film. Julia Schimmelpenningh of Eastman Chemical Company fielded questions regarding testing to ASTM F3561 Standard Test Method for Forced-Entry-Resistance of Fenestration Systems After Simulated Active Shooter Attack. NGA Code Consultant Nick Resetar of Roetzel & Andress provided the legislative and building code perspective to the conversation.     

• Task groups are working on new AIA presentations on school security and bird-friendly glazing in buildings.

INSULATING 

• The vacuum insulating glazing (VIG) task group will draft a new AIA presentation expanding on the existing NGA technical papers.

• Robert Hart of DOE Labs presented Thin Triples, DOE Initiatives explaining the research DOE is doing to help implement thin triples to reach high performance goals.

MIRROR 

• A task group is working on a new Mirror Reference Manual, which will cover types of mirrors, fabrication, handling, storage, installing, cleaning, recyclability, sustainability, and the potential for LEED credits. 

• A new mirror FAQ section was added to the NGA Members Only Codes & Standards Help Center. 

DECORATIVE 

• A new Decorative Glazing Reference Manual is being drafted for publication in 2024. The manual will incorporate the work of the new Decorative Glass in Daylighting & Biophilia Applications task group. 

• A task group is drafting guidelines for the quality of digitally printed glass and best practices for digital printing. 

TEMPERING 

• ASTM C14 updates were reviewed, along with ASTM E1300 updates related to ceramic enamel.  

• Open issues in revising the NGA Glass Technical Paper (GTP) Heat Soak Testing of Tempered Glass for Architectural Applications were discussed. 

• Committee members discussed an update on testing and calculations to quantify the reduction in glass strength from edge grinding after tempering. 

INSTALLING COMMITTEE UPDATE

• A task group is coordinating with MasterSpec to update the Division 08 section Specifications. 

• The Value Engineering task group is discussing ways to overcome challenges in implementing new high-performance glazing products. A new task group was formed to create a benchmark paper on delegated design vs design build vs design assist. These initiatives bridge the work efforts between the Forming, Fabricating, Advocacy, and Installing Committees to ensure the entire supply chain is reflected in the resources created. 

• The NGA Installing Committee will meet on October 31, 2023 at the Glazing Executives Forum at GlassBuild America in Atlanta, GA. 

Join your peers at the NGA Glass Conference: Charleston, February 6-8, 2024, at the Wild Dunes- Charleston Island Resort- Isle of Palms, SC for the next meeting of NGA’s Forming, Fabricating and Advocacy committees.