Welcome
Welcome to the first WERS E-newsletter of 2008. We will now be sending out a WERS E-newsletter every month to all WERS members to keep you up to date with developments, changes and news. If you have any news or anything you wish to add, please contact me.

WERS had a huge overhaul in the lead up to Christmas with the uploading of some 2000 NFRC re-rated products as well as the launch of the new WERS website. The re-rating of existing WERS products to NFRC conditions took some 18 months and over 1000 man hours to complete. The initial stage of the project took into account any ratings that were completed prior to March 2006. Any additional ratings after that will be completed and uploaded over the coming months, so keep an eye on the WERS site. www.wers.net

The new WERS website was developed in line with the re-rate project to give a new face to WERS. The site now has an advanced search engine to assist both the public and the industry in finding suitable windows. The search page has many parameters; including manufacturer, material, window type, star ratings, U value and SHGC.

When searching for U value and SHGC the search engine pulls up any window with a U value of less than or equal to input value and a SHGC within 10%, as per house Energy rating requirements.

The database houses over 2000 windows and ratings. Since its launch we have found a few errors. We are working to resolve all errors, however if you find any, please let me know and I will get them fixed. We are relying on the public and industry to help make the WERS site the best it can be.

If you have any suggestions, feedback or comments about the site, please feel free to send me an email.

Mike Palin
WERS Administrator
mike.palin@awa.org.au



A Run down on WERS Ratings
There appears to be a degree of confusion in the industry about energy ratings due to all the current changes. This article aims to explain what they mean, how they are generated, who generates them, what you need to do to get a rating and how to find them once rated.

WERS ratings are generated using procedures and protocols from the NFRC, National Fenestration Rating Council. The NFRC is a US based organisation who has generated a method of rating windows using simulation programs. Any rating performed under these conditions is known as an NFRC rating and can be used internationally. In line with the BCA, WERS has moved to NFRC ratings, this was done though the re-rate project.

The WERS ratings in the certified products tables that are freely available contain the whole window U value, SHGC, Vt and Air Infiltration. NFRC procedures measure a whole window rating, this takes into account the frame, glass and gaskets.

WERS takes the U value, SHGC and Air Infiltration to generate stars and percentage improvements when the window is compared to a 3mm clear glass / aluminium framed sliding window.

The ratings are simulated on a computer using advanced thermal simulation programs. The programs were generated by a laboratory in the US and they are continually updating the programs to accept new methods. Certified ratings can only be simulated by accredited NFRC simulators. Once the simulation is completed the NFRC requires that the files go through a formal audit process by a third party before they are able to be certified. The auditor must be an NFRC accredited auditor, with yearly checks in place. The auditing of WERS ratings will be done in house by Mike Palin at a subsidised rate as part of your WERS membership.

Once the ratings are certified they are freely available in the certified products section of the WERS website, put into the window search engine and uploaded into Accurate for house energy ratings.

The programs that are used for the simulation are freely available from the internet along with manuals for simulation. However it is important to note that this is only for R&D work, a rating will only be certified if it is performed by an accredited simulator. WERS will be putting on training in these programs to give the industry the tools to do energy ratings for their in-house R&D. If you or someone in your company would be interested in the training please email Mike Palin.

There are two ways in which you can get certified ratings, either contact a certified simulator or contact Mike Palin and the ratings will be organised through WERS. For every window/door that you want rated you need to provide a Glazing List, material list and CAD drawings for each frame section. The glazing list needs to provide the simulator with enough information to perform the simulation. Information such as glass name, thickness, IGU gaps, supplier and if possible the IGDB (International Glazing Database) number. The CAD drawings need to be in .dxf format with all "non-continuous" elements removed. A "non-continuous" element is a section of the frame which doesn’t run the full length of the frame. These generally include things such as handles, chain winders, hinges, wheels etc.

If you have any more questions, or would like examples of glazing lists and frame sections with non continuous elements removed, please contact Mike Palin.