NEW SERVICE SPOTLIGHT: Online Tool From Wausau Window And Wall Systems

Wausau Window and Wall Systems has introduced an online Green Product Selection Tool intended to provide a visual reference to help building professionals rank and compare performance information and potential energy savings of various window products the company offers.

Commenting on the type of data this tool provides, Steve Fronek, Wausau’s vice president of technical services, said, “Product information typically offers window properties such as U-Factor, Solar Heat Gain Coefficient, and Condensation Resistance. However, the relative importance of these properties depends on site-specific and building-specific conditions.”

This Green Product Selection Tool was developed by John Carmody and Kerry Haglund, researchers at the Center for Sustainable Building Research (CSBR) at the University of Minnesota. All simulations are done using COMFEN2 software by staff at CSBR and by the staff at the Windows and Daylighting Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Users can choose from eight cities to view performance data between a set of Wausau products for either new construction or renovation projects. Using the tool, facility managers can garner performance information on:

  • Annual energy
  • Peak demand
  • Carbon emissions
  • Daylight
  • Glare
  • Condensation
  • Cost savings

To generate these results, users choose from pull-down menus for the windows’ orientation, window-to-wall ratio, framing system, glass product, and whether to rank or compare the performance information:

A Ranking: Will order the performance results of a selected design condition, compared to a generic double clear window (for new construction) or a generic single clear window (for replacement). The results also show a simple, color-coded spectrum of “worst to best” snapshot of all the performance data.

A Comparison: Presents four design scenarios to examine and compare the performance between those scenarios. The four scenarios are accompanied by bar graphs and explanations.
Using cost savings estimates generated by these comparisons, users can apply their project specific, financial parameters to analyze payback time or rate of return.

Future additions are anticipated to include more geographic locations and specific building types, such as educational and healthcare facilities.