glassblog

The last several weeks, I have been hitting energy codes pretty heavily, and below, I have more of my interview with Avi Bar on that subject. But leading off this week is another code angle, and that’s the one of safety and security glass. As we push for energy improvements, we cannot take our eye off the protective glazing side. I think catastrophic events can spur action, but sometimes they draw attention to only a specific issue. So while there is a major focus on school security (as there should be), there still needs to be a sustained focus on the other areas of protective glazing, including fire rated. (One take of mine: no more wire, please.)

I believe our industry has a great handle on this product segment, but there’s still more education needed. If we still have people in the field who don't "get it," we fail as an entire industry. That said, I think Glass Magazine covered the issue perfectly this month with its edition on the entire protective glazing field, from the product basics all the way up to the advanced.  

Elsewhere...

• I had the opportunity to listen to the latest construction industry economic forecast this past week, and for the most part, the analysts were in a very positive mood. Although acknowledging there will surely be bumps in the road, optimism ruled the day. However, one item did come up that bothered me: One analyst noted that if you want to build “green,” you have to build new. I disagree. With some of the technology our industry has out there, we can surely make a serious difference in a retrofit application. Once again, we need to educate!
• As some of my loyal readers know, I loved the TV show “24.” Amazing stuff. Well, the news this week is that 24 and Jack Bauer might be coming back. Please make that happen. In the meantime, the show “The Americans” is now my favorite, though I am still five episodes behind.
• Last week, my interview with Avi Bar, vice president of Advanced Glazings, really got people talking. This week, I wrap up our talk with a look at the architectural side of things.

In your dealings with architects and designers, are you finding that they are paying attention to the codes, or are they more focused on the products they want to use?

AB: My overall experience is that the architects and designers are becoming more aware of energy codes; however, [the codes] aren't easy to implement. The prescriptive methods don’t easily translate into their designs, and the modeling methodologies are complex to include in the first pass of designs. Therefore, it’s an ongoing, iterative process. There is a disconnect in the design community/owner relationship as fees for services continue to tighten while the technical competency for designers increases. The complexity of the analysis process that the architects are now bound to ... is a problem for them, and perhaps an opportunity for a proactive glass industry. The more stringent the code, the more anxiety I see in designers. This is a call for help to the glass and glazing industry to innovate and support them.  

A lot of the economic indicators for construction and architecture are trending upwards. Are you seeing the same thing?

AB: It’s hard for us to tell, as our products are not commodities and have seen an overall increase in business, even during the recession. With that said, our current demand is growing at a much higher rate. Is that due to better economic conditions? Or is it finally a signal that the market for high performance translucent glass is maturing? We can’t say. Perhaps a mix of both. All in all, we are optimistic.

Read on for links and clip of the week...

The author is founder of Sole Source Consultants, a consulting firm for the building products industry that specializes in marketing, branding, communication strategy and overall reputation management, as well as website and social media, and codes and specifications. E-mail him at MaxP@SoleSourceConsultants.com.

The opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Glass Association, Glass Magazine editors, or other glassblog contributors.

I decided to take a slightly different approach to the blog this week. Before getting into the news, I have an extremely interesting interview with a guy who I consider to be one of the most fascinating people in our industry today. This week, I tracked down Avi Bar, vice president, architectural products, for Advanced Glazings, to get his take on the current code landscape. I met Avi two years ago and was extremely impressed by his intelligence and focus. When the code discussion started to heat up, I thought getting Avi’s opinion would be interesting. And after getting his answers, I have no doubt that this will surely get some people talking.

The building/energy code process continues to evolve. What is your take on where the codes are now, and where they are going?

Avi Bar: I think there are two primary shifts now in code: energy codes are getting stricter, and they are becoming mandatory vs. voluntary. The codes are reflecting rising energy costs and environmental challenges. The codes recognize that the building envelope plays a significant role in addressing these challenges; however, most [building envelope] advances have been predominantly incremental as we try to tweak existing technologies and materials. This, in turn, has resulted in incremental code changes. All the evidence, however, indicates that we need a more radical change in energy codes. This will be fed by two possible triggers: an event that creates more scarcity of fossil fuels, or breakthrough technologies to compete. We hope that the former doesn’t have to occur before the latter. There are materials such as ours [Solera daylighting solutions] that are making that true. In Europe, code tends to be more stringent and mandatory as energy costs are substantially higher, but the net result is better buildings, and more innovation and greater value is derived from the glass industry. Another point of interest is that energy metrics for buildings are now factoring quantifiable benefits to the use of daylighting, strategically as the primary lighting source during usable hours.

What’s your take on the ASHRAE issue and the ongoing discussion that is seemingly pretty active in our industry now?

Bar: Here is the basic premise. ASHRAE standards are driven by two primary conditions: higher energy costs and environmental stewardess. Both of these conditions are important and should not be ignored. Asking ASHRAE to relax rules and code will compromise buildings' ability to be sustainable from an environmental and financial standpoint.The codes are not going to get less stringent. The voluntary nature is not going to spread. Instead, I predict (as we can see everywhere else in the world), the codes will get more stringent and mandatory. We can sit and cry about it, or we can rise to the challenge.The issue the glass industry is trying to address is that most current glass products are based on a composition that is fundamentally flawed. Glass is a highly conductive material. Air in the units (or gasses, which are highly prone to leakage) are highly convective. Low-E is reaching its maximum value in reducing U-values. Spacers are highly conductive too. Therefore, the fundamental construct of glass is challenged, as its only potential improvement is incremental, even with triple-glazed units―which add cost due to additional material and installation costs. Over and above this, vision glass struggles to deal with daylighting ... since it introduces heat and glare unless controlled through shading devices, which adds more cost. So given these constraints, it’s obvious that the "nemesis /enemy" is the code. If you can't improve, then the code is too strict.

But that does not have to be the case. If we look at using innovation and technology to change the construct and paradigms of the glazing, we can retain our position on buildings. There is much work to be done in this realm, but it's not far off. Therefore, my recommendation is instead of blaming ASHRAE and seeking lobbying money to fight it, let's invest this money in innovating and lowering material costs.The glass industry needs to embrace two fundamental things: innovation and education throughout the value chain.

Elsewhere…

• So is it me, or did the fact that the General Services Administration noting that they have been looking at LEED for “almost a year and half” just make you sad? Seriously, it should never take that long. Or am I missing something? Yes, they studied 160 tools and standards (there’s really that many? My goodness...), but does it take that long to eventually decide on the biggest and most prominent one?
• A website for you to absolutely visit and bookmark: the Efficient Windows Collaborative has added to their already amazing site and it now is even better. The new window selection tool is tremendous. Kudos to Kerry Haglund and her team for once again raising the bar when it comes to educational resources.
• While we’re in congratulatory mode, we’ll send some congrats out to Alissa Schmidt of Viracon for winning a Distinguished Alumni award from her alma mater Minnesota State-Mankato. Alissa represents our industry well and it’s great her efforts are being recognized!

Next week, part two of my interview with Avi, including where the architectural community weighs in on the code debate.

Read on for links and video of the week...

The author is founder of Sole Source Consultants, a consulting firm for the building products industry that specializes in marketing, branding, communication strategy and overall reputation management, as well as website and social media, and codes and specifications. E-mail him atMaxP@SoleSourceConsultants.com.

The opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Glass Association, Glass Magazine editors, or other glassblog contributors.

In my last blog, I said that long-term planning is a learned skill that includes three primary components: goal setting, succession planning and contingency planning. Today, I will cover goal setting. It is a very big topic, so if there is an aspect that you'd like to discuss in future blogs, let me know. 

Goal setting asks three questions:

1. Where are we?
2. Where do we want to be?
3. How do we plan to get there?

Of these three questions, the first is the most difficult to answer and, also, the most ignored. It is difficult, and often painful, to be honest about where we really are now.
 
The main reason people or companies never reach their goals is they never answer question two, or they answer it and forget it. I post my goals where I can constantly see them. Not only does it remind me of the destination, other people see them and ask about my progress. Their interest and support keeps me focused on the goal(s).
 
Since there is limited space in this blog, most of the discussion will focus on question three. A plan must be measureable within a specific timeframe. If a goal is to be accomplished “someday,” it will never be accomplished. “Someday” has to be specific. Most importantly, though, there must be a tangible reward for achieving the goal.
 
The reward is often excluded from the goal-setting process. The primary reason people/companies forget the answer to question two is because a specific reward was not included in the goal-setting process. Some questions you might ask yourself: When I attain this goal, what will it mean to me? How are am I/we going to feel? Will we have a larger market share? Will we be more profitable so we can then buy a new needed piece of machinery? Will I, if it’s a personal goal, be healthier or happier, or have lower blood pressure?
 
“Motivation” and “emotion” have the same Latin root word. Motus means moved. We are personally moved through emotion. We are not moved through logic. People set New Year’s resolutions logically. Most forget them. Those that follow through always have an emotional attachment to the resolution. They have a reward that means something to them. These people stay focused on the prize, not the price.
 
Here is the formula to put it all together. The formula must be in this order. If the order is changed, the plan will fail and the goal will not be attained.

1. Reward: When I attain this goal, what will it mean to me/us? How will I feel?
2. Goal: Where do I/we want to be?
3. Plan: How do I/we plan to get there?
4. Effort: What is my/our schedule for following the plan to hit the goal and get the reward?

The author is president, Evans Glass Co., and chairman of the board for the National Glass Association. Write him at bevans@evansglasscompany.com.

The opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Glass Association, Glass Magazine editors, or other glassblog contributors.

This past week was pretty quiet in terms of major industry news, so I decided to make this post a quick-hitter piece. Without further delay, here it goes:

• Last week, I noted the efforts of Bill Evans and his company, which recently coordinated with the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes to build handicapped accessible ramping for a disabled veteran in Tennessee. Bill dropped me a line with more details on the project and kudos for the guys that physically got it done. So, thank you to Joel Poole, Terry Gilley, Fred Rowe, Jay Devers and Versie Shannon. It truly was a great thing you did for a family in need!
• Sad news as yet another long-time industry guy, Lester Peacock, passed away. I met Lester in Houston last year at his last professional home, Binswanger Glass, and he shared with me stories of working with many members of my family in years' past. Lester was a tremendous man, respected by all, who knew more about the ins and outs of the industry and its products than I ever will. He surely will be missed.
• Did you get your Glass Magazine Award nominations in yet? I know many people who were working on this last week, and for good reason. It is the most prestigious awards program in our industry, especially those awards voted on by the public. So if you haven’t done it, hurry up and do it. Deadline is April 16.
• Guardian SunGuard launched a revamped website, and I must say, it looks tremendous. I really like the cleaner look and the fact that you have access to everything on the front page. I’m also a fan of the use of “icons,” and Guardian really handled that nicely. Well done folks!
• Also on that note, there have been some serious web improvements going on in our world. The last three I have noted―Guardian, Viracon, and GGI―have really raised the bar.
• Last fall, the excellent Dr. Helen Sanders of Sage gave a speech on eco-labeling at the Glazing Executives Forum during GlassBuild America. I have to admit, I had no clue what it was and, unfortunately, did not get to the speech. However, since then I have learned more and more. And then this past week, I ran into this article that really explained the process nicely.
• I know it’s a week late, but that college basketball championship game was absolutely fantastic. It was easily one of the best games I have ever seen, with both teams playing at the highest level. It was a shame anyone had to lose. Congrats Louisville fans…
• Last this week… it was 39 degrees and raining last week in Michigan, and 92 and blistering in DC. Ummmm, can someone alert Mother Nature that it's spring, not winter or summer?

Read on for links and clip of the week...

The author is founder of Sole Source Consultants, a consulting firm for the building products industry that specializes in marketing, branding, communication strategy and overall reputation management, as well as website and social media, and codes and specifications. E-mail him at MaxP@SoleSourceConsultants.com.

The opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Glass Association, Glass Magazine editors, or other glassblog contributors.