GANAPerspectives, USGlass, July 2011

Volume 46, Issue 6 - July 2011

GANAPerspectives

Energizing the Industry
Energy Finds New Meaning at GANA
by Ashley Charest

Air-conditioning and heating, automobiles and refrigerators, light bulbs and coated glass … the single attribute that these items most have in common are their new-found focus on energy efficiency. In 2008, the term “energy” took a much more prominent position within the Glass Association of North America (GANA) as the association’s Energy Committee was formed to provide an outlet for members to discuss important industry topics surrounding the subject. The Committee’s scope is: To advocate the expanded use of glass and glazing in the energy conservation and energy generation applications.

However, with the advancements in glazing technologies and expanded focus on energy, energy efficiency and energy consumption, GANA found the need to place a larger emphasis on this subset of the glazing industry and, in March 2011, the GANA Energy Division was created (see May 2011 USGlass, page 38).

Division’s Foundation
The foundation for the Division’s work already has been laid by action on three important energy pillars: window-to-wall ratio, life-cycle analysis and BuildingStar. That work, combined with the development of a comprehensive energy glossary, LEED white papers focusing on mirrored products and decorative glazing, as well as the beginning of a solar products and applications matrix, gives insight to the great work that will continue to come from GANA’s new Energy Division.

The Division’s initial focus will have two pillars: advocacy and technical. Both of these aspects lend themselves to a host of energy-focused projects, whether that is advocating to legislators about the need for energy tax credits, supporting research projects on life-cycle analysis of glazing products or providing basic educa tion about why glass is an enormously beneficial energy-saving product to incorporate into a new or reconstructed building.

Energy Division Structure
Much like all of GANA’s other seven divisions, the Energy Division will be structured with an established membership base, a Division Chair, Committee Chairs and Subcommittees and Task Groups already established underneath the former Energy Committee. However, the new Division structure opens up membership opportunities for companies that typically were not seen as perfect fits within the other Divisions. If your company currently is a member of GANA and you wish to add the Energy Division to your membership, just contact the GANA office for that addition. However, if your company is interested in joining GANA as a new member, you can apply online at www.glasswebsite.com/join and select the Energy Division as one of your participating groups in the association.

Ongoing Efforts
From the former Energy Committee, the Division has established working groups functioning on behalf of GANA members. |
Those groups are:
• ASHRAE Subcommittee: Focuses on the window-to-wall ratio issue and how to best handle efforts moving forward.

• Energy Manual Task Group: Collating currently available materials within the industry to better define information to incorporate into an Energy Manual.

• LEED Subcommittee: Houses the implementation and review of all GANA materials that work in conjunction with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® program.

• Life-Cycle Analysis Task Group: Reviewing how a life-cycle analysis could be put together for the benefit of the industry; also working with the National Institute of Standards and Technology on its life-cycle analysis project.

• Publications Subcommittee: Clearinghouse for ideas on documents GANA will produce within the energy arena.

• Solar Products and Applications Subcommittee: Provides technical support and influence to the solar and glazing industry for the use of glass and glazing products. Currently this subcommittee is working on the creation of a solar products and applications matrix, which will be a web-based interactive module to “find” solar product and applications combinations.