Western Windows – Title 24 Compliant Windows
[Phoenix] – November 29, 2016 – Western Window Systems announced today it will be bringing a revolutionary experience to the housing industry in 2017 based on a new aluminum product family designed and built for markets in the Northwest, Northeast, and Southeast regions of the country. State-of-the-art moving glass walls and windows, a total of 12 new product lines in all, will roll out over the course of the new year, giving architects design elements that promote open floor plans and indoor-outdoor living while still addressing energy, structural, and hurricane impact needs critical to each area. The new product family will feature Western Window Systems’ signature thin profiles and large expanses of glass, so architects can easily fit them into contemporary and modern designs.
“There has been so much innovation in contemporary architecture in the Southwest, we want to bring that same excitement to the rest of the country,” says Scott Gates, president and CEO of Western Window Systems. “Our new product family makes aluminum the most compelling choice for architects and designers looking to capture current trends. We believe it represents the future of residential design.”
The new family of thermally broken aluminum products, called the Series 7000, dramatically simplifies how architects select door and window products by offering across-the-board U-value ratings as low as .19 (when utilizing triple-pane glass), design pressure ratings above 50, and hurricane impact certification. Adding low-E coated glass from Cardinal Glass Industries (direct from its first IG plant in the Southwest) delivers energy efficiency in all types of weather. A signature aluminum extrusion design utilizing proprietary Insulbar technology handles strength and performance needs.
“The wood window industry has tried to address the demand for this type of architecture with products branded as ‘contemporary’ — and customers aren’t buying it,” says Gates. “Architects and designers want the look, functionality, and strength of aluminum, and have often sacrificed energy ratings to get it. Our new aluminum product family will be more energy efficient than wood.”
The new line of moving glass walls, doors, and windows easily integrates to form a unified look and feel throughout the whole house. Architects can take advantage of completely customizable options to create high-end, contemporary residences that have never been seen in these markets before.
“We’ve grown over 1300% over the last six years by giving the market what it wants,” says Gates. “This new product line brings that same innovation and passion to those East Coast and Florida markets that want better.”
The Series 7000 product family will be manufactured at the company’s new headquarters in Phoenix, starting with the Series 7600 Multi-Slide Door set to launch next spring. Western Window Systems will have corner samples on hand at the 2017 NAHB International Builders' Show (IBS), January 10-12 at Florida’s Orange County Convention Center, in Professional Builder’s Show Village, located in the convention center’s parking lot. The remaining 11 products will release throughout 2017.
What is Title 24?
The California Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards are designed to ensure new and existing buildings achieve energy efficiency and preserve outdoor and indoor environmental quality. These measures (Title 24, Part 6) are listed in the California Code of Regulations. The California Energy Commission is responsible for adopting, implementing and updating building energy efficiency. Local city and county enforcement agencies have the authority to verify compliance with applicable building codes, including energy efficiency.
Why are energy standards important?
Since 1978, Energy Efficiency Standards make buildings more comfortable, lower energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Standards ensure that builders use the most energy efficient technologies and construction.
Why do the standards need to be updated?
The Energy Commission is required by law to adopt standards every three years that are cost effective for homeowners over the 30-year lifespan of a building. The standards are updated to consider and incorporate new energy efficient technologies and construction methods. The standards save energy, increase electricity supply reliability, increase indoor comfort, avoid the need to construct new power plants and help preserve the environment.
How much will these standards add to the cost of a new home?
On average, the 2016 Building Energy Efficiency Standards will increase the cost of constructing a new home by about $2,700, but will save $7,400 in energy and maintenance costs over 30 years. In other words, when factored into a 30-year mortgage with a 5 percent interest rate, the standards will add about $11 per month for the average home, but will save consumers roughly $31 on monthly heating, cooling, and lighting bills.
How much energy will the 2016 standards save?
Single family homes built to the 2016 standards will use about 28 percent less energy for lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation, and water heating than those built to the 2013 standards. In 30 years, California will have saved enough energy to power 2.2 million homes, reducing the need to build 12 additional power plants.
Do the 2016 residential standards get us to zero net energy?
In 2008, California set bold energy-use reduction goals, targeting zero net energy (ZNE) use in all new homes by 2020 and commercial buildings by 2030. The ZNE goal means new buildings must use a combination of improved efficiency and distributed renewable energy generation to meet 100 percent of their annual energy need. The 2016 standards will not get us to ZNE. However, they do get us very close to our goal and make important steps toward changing residential building practices in California. The 2019 standards will take the final step to achieve ZNE for newly constructed residential buildings throughout California.
Who supports the standards?
The California Building Industry Association supports the adopted standards as does the Natural Resources Defense Council and other environmental groups, investor owned utilities such as Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison, and publically owned utilities such as the Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
What buildings are covered by the standards?
All new construction of, and additions and alterations to, residential and nonresidential buildings are covered except hospitals, nursing homes, correctional centers, jails, and prisons.
Why do the standards vary by climate zone?
Measures that are cost effective in more extreme climates may not be cost effective in milder climates. Requiring measures by climate zone ensure that a building will have the most energy efficient features for that area. There are 16 climate zones in the state.
