Window Film's Impact In Florida

The IWFA View April – May 2015 1

The IWFA ViewNews from the International Window Film Association April – May 2015

Window Film’s Impact In Florida

A New Marketing MachineNFRC – Private Label NewsDealer Roundtable

Features Inside:

2 The IWFA View April – May 2015

President’s Wavelength . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Inside Scoop on a Window Film Marketing Machine

News You Can Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5IWFA’s Position on Lifespan of Window Films

Public Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6A Code For Expanded Opportunity NFRC and Private Labeling

Dealers Roundtable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Offering Customer Security and Decorative Window Film

IWFA Exclusive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Florida Report on Energy Analysis for Window Film Applications

News To Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11The impact of UV-A Without Window Film’s Protection

MAC Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14The latest news from the Members Action Committee

IN THIS ISSUE

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The Inside Scoop On A New Window Film Marketing MachineBy John Parker, IWFA President

In response to an ever-increasing number of website visitors and a change in browsing behavior, the IWFA recently evolved its website to better serve visitors and

you, our members.

www.iwfa.com is now a completely responsive website, mean-ing no matter what device you use to visit it, the pages auto-matically reconfigure to offer the best possible view on the device you are using. This is an awesome feature that makes visits to the website go smoothly, with easy, nearly intuitive navigation to boot. Today, about half of all web visits to the IWFA are being made with a smart phone versus a personal computer.

In fact the whole website went through a redesign to make it fresh and ‘spring like’, with an open look and clear directions, so you can find what you need quickly.

The new format and button icons allow visitors to ‘self-iden-tify’ whether they are a ‘Professional’ or ‘Consumer’, and then the site offers custom information tailored to the selection.

But making the IWFA’s website look, work and act better is just a small part of its multi-media strategy in building a mar-keting machine for window film. The other reason is website traffic, which is upwards of 25,000 page views a month, and it’s been on upward trajectory for the last three years.

Annualized Views to www.iwfa.com

The real driver of the IWFA’s marketing machine is ‘smart content’ that positions window film in a positive light, without being overly biased, just straight talk about what window film can and cannot do.

Consumers and professionals are hungry to learn about window film, unfiltered from a credible industry resource, and once they get some tasty information about its benefits they want to know where can they get it.

As soon as a visitor gets serious about taking the next step to get product information about window film, icons for ‘find an installer, or ‘distributor’ or ‘manufacturer’ are easily clicked on.

My ViewThe IWFA View

(My View, continued to page 4)

350,000300,000

250,000200,000150,000100,000

50,0000 2011 2012 2013 2014

27,121 views a month

I know of one dealer who makes it a point to ask customers where they learned about his company and he says that 2-3 paying customers a month found him through the dealer locator on the IWFA website. That’s a lot of business for an annual membership fee of $175.In fact, in 2014 the IWFA’s ‘find a dealer / installer’ page averages 41 visits a day, or about 10 percent of all visitors. Given the number of member dealers in the IWFA and you can imagine how this is indeed a great benefit, since the locator only shows IWFA members. The ‘find a manufacturer’ page averages 12 daily visits, where there are seven members listed and for distributors, it’s six visits on average daily.


Most of the IWFA’s content is delivered in the form of articles, news releases, syndicated news items and Facebook posts in perhaps the industry’s strongest social media pro-gram. The IWFA’s winning formula is that nearly all items are linked back to the IWFA’s website. This linking back is a purposeful marketing strategy with measurable results and this helps explain for the growth in traffic to the website.

Next add-in fresh, custom content: the IWFA View, videos, and articles geared to dealers’ needs and the number of other sites that link to the IWFA and you get a marketing machine reaching into all corners. Articles mentioning or linking back to the IWFA reach across North America, east to west and north to south. One example is the Orlando Utilities Com-mission, that ran articles with content provided by the IWFA and linking back to the IWFA website. Another is syndicated content in the West Coast’s largest media entity: the San Francisco Chronicle, or SFGate. In fact the IWFA literally has 1,000s of articles with direct web links embedded circulating across North America. Here are just a few of the outlets.

And the content is appearing not just in consumer media, but also in professional news sites such as Facility Execu-tive, Modern Builder + Design, to name a few. The IWFA’s budget, or even our members’ budgets would never be large enough to earn all of the free media and social media chan-nels that the IWFA has gained prominent positions in by offering objective content that is useful to consumers and professionals alike.

Many dealers are aware of some of this exciting content and use it in their own blogs to keep their own websites fresh and informative. They also regularly visit the IWFA’s Face-book page and follow it on twitter to stay ahead of their local market competitors by offering the latest information. Here’s how the IWFA’s Facebook page has grown since launching in 2012 (does your page show similar growth?).

IWFA Facebook Likes – A Rising Trend

Bottomline, make a pledge this spring to get it together. If you are member be sure you are sharing IWFA information, so you can capture customers coming to you through the IWFA’s business locator (that shows members only). Keep a marketing log of your customers and ask them how they found your company. This simple step will help you with your marketing.

Lest I forget, an easy way to get in on the action is with Na-tional Window Film Day. Go to the events page on the IWFA homepage and click on the National Window Film Day listing. There you will find content that you can use in your hometown news to create more awareness about window film and your business.

(My View, continued from page 3)

OAKLAND TRIBUNE

LIFESTYLES

7,0006,000

5,0004,0003,0002,000

1,0000 2012 2013 2014 2015

4,000% Increase 2012 to Present

(projected)

And if you are not a member, get with it, don’t sit on the sidelines making comments about not enough business leads, see the light and join the IWFA.


News You Can UseNews News News News News News News News News News

The IWFA’s Position on the Lifespan of Window FilmsWindow Films were developed nearly 50 years ago using clear polyester film coated with a thin layer of metal and an adhesive on one side designed to apply the film to the inside of window glass. The metal coating helped to reflect the solar heat out of the home or office.

Over time, window films have been improved with the use of UV resistant materials, different metals and/or film technolo-gies, better construction and more robust scratch-resistant surface coatings. All of these advancements have generally helped to improve the longevity, or life expectancy, of win-dow films for interior applications.

There has always been a need for some applications where the window film is to be applied on the exterior of the glass. The original window films were not designed to stand up to harsher environmental conditions when exposed to the out-side elements, i.e. direct sun, rain, wind, snow and pollutants. The use of ‘interior’ window films on the exterior provided good solar performance but typically a relatively short life due to outside exposure.

As ‘interior’ window films have improved their longevity from original expectations of 2 to 5 years to now often approaching 20 + years of performance, so have window films designed

for exterior applications likewise improved.

Exterior window films have also generally evolved and improved their durability by using newer technologies and special UV-resistant materials and coatings. Interior window films applications still typi-cally may last two (2) to three (3) times longer than exterior window films on the outside. However, the improvement of the exterior-designed window films have enabled several of these films to weather the outside exposure significantly better than previous indus-try offerings, and provide a more meaningful life expectancy.

Even today, most window films are still applied on the interior of the building, typically due to ease of access and longer life spans; however, these advancements in weatherability and durability of exterior films have earned greater acceptance in the marketplace than ever before.

Dangers of UV Rays From Indoor Sunlight Missed By MillionsMore than 12 million Americans have children who may be receiving dangerous levels of Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun when they sit near unprotected windows, reports a new survey among U.S. adults with children under 18 years old in their household.

“Alarge body of medical research shows harmful UVA rays penetrate the skin deeply and can do significant damage and even cause cancer as it passes through unprotected windows on sunny or even cloudy days,” said Darrell Smith, executive director of the IWFA. “While the impact of this exposure is seen in older adults, the harm to the skin can start when you are child, and the damage cannot be reversed,” he added.

Studies reported in the New England Journal of Medicine state that UVA rays transmit through unprotected window glass and can penetrate several layers of skin indoors. A report from the Dermatology Department of the Henry Ford Medical Center in Michigan states that UVA “is a threat, and a far greater one than has been generally believed” and both basal cell carcinomas and melanomas can be developed.


The IWFA has worked diligently to look for opportunities where the use of window films can be included as a viable energy savings solution in all markets. Once an opportunity is identified, the IWFA through a variety of different tactics and methods works to have window film included as a cost-effective product.

One of the areas the IWFA con-tinues to work within is in build-ing codes. Since window films may not specifically be named in these codes, it can be an obstacle to window film use, as someone might say that it was not “code-compliant”.

Today in the International Code Council’s energy code (the IECC), window films are named and are exempt from having to comply with all the code requirements when used on single pane win-dows.

In Florida’s local code, the same is true for both single pane and dual pane windows. In California, window film use is very specific and spelled out for both residential and commercial use and for both new construction and for retrofit work.

All of these different paths accomplished the same end goals:

§ To have window films specifically called out in the codes

§ To acknowledge legitimate uses of window films in the builder market

Another path undertaken was that of education, as the IWFA found many policy makers, program personnel, and even energy consultants in governments and utilities had little knowledge or very outdated or mistaken information about window films. This discovery has resulted in many, many meetings and training presentations with local energy engi-neers’ associations, state energy offices, utility management,

and companies hired to consult with governments or utilities on energy efficiency programs.

In addition to these efforts, the IWFA regularly participates with and presents to other organizations in the window

fashions and window coverings industry, to members of the lighting and HVAC industry, and to building owner and management groups and contractors who work for them. The IWFA also has a proactive, multi-media strategy program to drive consumers sand professionals alike to the IWFA’s website where they can learn about the many benefits of window film.

Another important area of educa-tion is with the IWFA’s members. On a regular basis the IWFA holds dealer meetings to provide them with relevant training on how to approach builders and architects that obvi-ously are working with code require-ments on a daily basis. The IWFA encourages its members to meet with architects and builders to educate them about window film, so that as a product it can be specified into a

renovation and construction program. A good organization that dealers should join is the local Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA). They should participate and volunteer to give generic presentations on window films and their proper uses to local engineer, architect, contractor, and interior design groups who generally are looking for present-ers and topics of interest.

Dealers should also get to know their local code officials and building inspectors and school officials and law enforcement, any of these individuals or groups are potential sources of business. And local professional groups like Chambers of Commerce, Exchange Clubs, Kiwanis, Lions, and other such groups are great networking groups with doorways into the builder marketplace.

A CODE FOR EXPANDING YOUR OPPORTUNITY

Public Affairs


Almost two years ago now, the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) was approached by a large distributor of a wide range of products seeking

certification for several window film products with its own brand which were manufactured by a company which already had its own products listed in the NFRC Certified Products Directory. Recognizing that this was a potential market need which NFRC procedures did not currently cover, NFRC implemented some temporary measures to accommodate this issue while launching a process to emend and enhance its programs to fully encompass all such situation regarding window films in the future.

The first step in that process was to reestablish the Applied Films Task Group. This task group’s membership, chaired by Darrell Smith, worked with staff and determined that the “NFRC Private Label Participant” program for windows could not be used for applied films due to major differences in the distribution channels used in each industry. Flowcharts of possible testing, packaging, labeling, and distribution pathways were drawn; a glossary of terms was developed; and new documents needed and changes in existing documents were all considered and agreed.

After 1 ½ years, the task group and NFRC staff notified the Chair of the Ratings Committee to which it was assigned that it was ready to send its recommendation out to be balloted by the membership for the Spring 2015 meeting being held in Annapolis, Maryland the week of March 23, 2015. The original membership ballot received only one negative ballot which was determined at the meeting to be only “editorial” in nature, so the approved ballot was then recommended by the NFRC 700 PCP Certification Subcommittee to be sent to the full Ratings Committee for consideration; it passed by

unanimous voice vote. At the full Ratings Committee meet-ing later that day, it was recommended by the Committee to be send to the Board of Directors for consideration; it also passed by unanimous voice vote. The following day, it also was approved by the Board of Directors unanimously.

The importance of this “Applied Film Licensed Brander” program is that a company which chooses to market an ap-plied film product under its own brand and wishes for that product to have its own separate listing in the NFRC Certi-fied Products Directory by means of branding a product currently listed (even if it were identical in performance or manufacturing specifications as another product made by the same manufacturer for the same end market), or branding a product as the independent initiator of certification could do so. In addition the approved program modifications allow a marketing company to have a product branded as their own directly from the NFRC Licensee. However, this program is constructed in such a way that the marketing company will have to specify in their NFRC license agreement who is doing the marketing, the testing, the packaging, the branding, and/or the labeling (if it is anyone other than themselves) AND each of the companies doing those processes will have its own agreement with NFRC allowing NFRC the legal right to enter their premises and enforce their program requirements. In this way, the integrity of the NFRC certification and what it means is protected the same way it is when all processes from manufacturing to sales to the public is handled by the manufacturer themselves.

The potential for this type of program to the NFRC is that it can increase the number of companies participating in the NFRC certification programs and increase the number of products in the Certified Products Directory. This may increase the visibility of the NFRC label to the public.

NFRC’s APPLIED FILMS LICENSED BRANDER PROGRAM

For the window film industry, it means more choices in structure of arrangements between manufacturers and their downstream customers. It also gives them more ways to separate their own brands internally, should they choose to do so.

- Darrell Smith

For the window film industry, it means more choices in structure of arrangements between manufacturers and their downstream customers. It also gives them more ways to separate their own brands internally, should they choose to do so.


As you work with your customer consider serving them better by offering them more than your usual line of product offerings. For instance, do they have shower doors that they would like have decorative film placed? What about their front door, would it help to have an opaque look at the sidelites instead of cl[ear glass?

Which brings up a key point – the front door, or virtually any door or window is often the most vulnerable for unwanted intrusion. According to the latest crime reports from the F.B.I., and in nearly every case, criminal entry is through a door or window.

Thieves for example, usually target the easiest means to enter, like breaking through windows or the glass panes surrounding entry-ways. Windows on the ground floor of a building, either uncov-ered or with open drapes, blinds, or shutters, give visibility both outwardly and inwardly.

This allows not only building occupants to see out of a building, it allows those outside a building to see into the building, thus allow-ing someone with questionable motives to clearly see who is in a building in which positions and which areas of the building might be most vulnerable to entry. And unless the glass/window system is designed to have some level of impact resistant, a perpetrator can easily just cut or break the glass and enter the building in an unchallenged manner.

Security films may be used to make intrusion into a building or facility more difficult. The International Window Film Associa-tion (IWFA) cautions anyone who might overstate benefits to a potential customer of such a product. The use of safety/secu-rity window films alone likely will not prevent intrusion through glass. Instead, such use may increase the amount of time needed to break through the filmed glass system (which could provide au-thorities a few more minutes to respond to such an occurrence) or possibly deter the efforts of the potential intruder altogether after unsuccessful multiple attempts to enter through the filmed glass.

There may also be concern that firefighters could have difficulty entering through windows with safety film. Forcible entry training for firefighters and rescue personnel has been expanded over the last decades to include training on how to enter buildings where windows are protected using laminated glass, polycarbonate types

of glazing (like Plexiglas and Lexan), and security films on the glass). The same issues exist for these other types of glazing as they do for film on glass, so the emergency industry developed training to cover that issue.

The value of Safety Film in protecting building occupants has been recognized by the federal government. Today, most govern-ment buildings have some type of window film or protective glaz-ing on the windows.

Safety/security window films are manufactured specifically to control the “post-failure behavior of glass fragments”, i.e. how glass fragments behave after glass breakage occurs. These par-ticular window films are installed on standard, non-safety glass products and then tested and certified to the same standards as different types of safety/security glass.

As an example, when tempered glass (sometimes called “safety glass”) breaks due to some projectile such as a golf ball hitting it, it breaks into small granules of glass in such a way as to prevent in-juries to nearby persons from being cut by shards of glass. Safety films installed on standard annealed glass (called “plate glass”) are certified as performing to that same level of safety performance since almost all the shards of glass are held to the film itself and do not “fly” towards persons who might be behind the glass at the time of the impact.

Other thicker types of safety films, called security films, have been tested and certified by independent testing laboratories by their manufacturers to meet different levels of impact performance, in-cluding reduction of injuries from human impact. The particular Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) safety standards, which are met by a window film manufacturer’s products, are published and copies of the actual test certificates are available from each manu-facturer.

DEALER ROUNDTABLE TOPICS

Have You Considered Offering Your Customer Security or Decorative Window Film?

(Customer Security, continued to page 9)


Security window film products can be installed with the addition of some type of window frame attachment system, from a bead of silicone construction sealant around the edges to an elaborate mechanical system of a frame within a frame—to achieve very high glass fragment retention during bomb blast events.

Window films, both in attached and unattached installations, have been tested and certified to meet certain required performance standards set by many government agencies, such as the General Services Administration, the Inter-Agency Security Council, and the Departments of Defense and State, to name a few.

Privacy films generally work in one of two ways: either they dark-en the windows themselves to the point that it is very difficult for persons outside to see into a building during the daytime or else they have such a highly reflective (“shiny”) appearance a person on the outside is not able to see into a building from a distance. Both of these products can afford a great deal of privacy during daytime hours; however, after sundown when lights are on in the building and it is dark outside the building, the highly reflective film may block people on the inside from seeing outward, while people outside can clearly see inside. In that situation, the glass darkening type of privacy film would work better.

Window film can be installed with a minimum of disruption in an office setting, as a single office can be done in a matter of a few hours, or whole floors or buildings can be done over weekends or after normal working hours, with minimal disruption to the personnel, workflow, or furnishings. In many cases, even when a larger, longer-term major security retrofit is planned for a building which would include replacement of whole sections of walls and windows, the companies will go ahead and install security films so they can have some immediate level of protection while they await

they planning and execution of their larger plan.

It is important to distinguish window films intended purely to im-prove energy performance from films designed for safety applica-tions. Solar control film is generally 1.5 to 2 mil thick, while Safety Film can range in thickness from 4 mil to 14 mil. Some films are designed for both solar control and security applications.

Most safety/security installations are evaluated not by an ROI or payback, but first by a threat assessment (what is the poten-tial threat against which protection is sought), then what level of hazard mitigation is being sought (no life threatening injuries or under 10% casualties or less than $5,000 property damage), and then what are the options to achieve the hazard reductions and their associated costs. Life safety issues are hard to monetize for a benefit analysis.

Generally, in terms of time to implement, total installed costs, and lost productive time, safety/security window film wins out. If there is no immediacy of threat, time to bring in a blast engi-neer and design a more permanent solution to build rather than to retrofit, then other solutions like blast resistant windows or lami-nated glass (which normally requires window frame changes also) may be the best solutions.

An option dealers should consider suggesting is to combine the properties of an energy control window film with those of a safety/security window film. In many cases, the energy savings will not only pay for itself, it will also pay for the safety/security benefits. Most of the window film manufacturers offer some of their standard energy control products in a safety film construc-tion and, if the project size is large enough, could custom manu-facture film for a specific job.

(Customer Security, continued from page 8)

The IWFA works diligently to help inform the industry and public of what level of visible light transmission (VLT) or ‘tint’ is allowed on vehicles, whether automotive or commer-cial trucking. This diligence includes working with local law enforcement.

In a recent instance the New Mexico State Police has an-nounced that it will be enforcing vehicle window tint violations in an effort to increase compliance with state law. The IWFA fully supports this initiative as New Mexico has a reasonable law that has worked well for the enforcement community, citi-zens, and its members. It is critical that our industry make ev-ery effort to fully comply with the law.

IWFA will provide assistance to the State Police in any manner requested to ensure that the desired compliance is achieved. Current state law allows for 20 percent VLT on the front side and rear windows. This standard will be strictly enforced. All installers not complying with the statutory provisions will be subject to violations. The IWFA will work with the New Mex-ico enforcement community in any manner possible to achieve compliance and strongly recommends that our members make every effort to achieve this goal.

MAKE SURE YOUR SHOP IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH TINTING LAWS


Window film offers many energy-saving ben-efits for homes being updated. Often when renovations are being done, replacing older

single-paned windows with more energy-efficient double- or triple-pane windows is a top consideration. However, window replacement can be a costly consideration. In some cases, the owner would like to protect the integrity of the structure by maintaining its original windows. As long as the single-paned window is structurally sound, adding professionally installed window film makes sense because it may match or exceed the energy efficiency of many modern windows.Having window film installed may cost up to 90 percent less than a complete window replacement. Window film can block 99 percent of ultraviolet rays, and reduce fading of furniture, drapes and flooring.

Professionally installed window films offer a variety of benefits, depending on the type of film that is installed. Window film products are rated by the National Fen-estration Rating Council for energy savings just like windows. Across many climate zones, window film has been shown to be one of the most cost-effective energy saving solutions. Return on investment on standard films is far less than that of full window replacements and some utilities offer rebates for window film use.

Year-Round ComfortWindow films reflect the sun’s heat in summer, which helps reduce a home’s overall heat gain. Depending on the film applied, it can reduce solar heat gain by as much as 84 percent. Window films also prevent hotspots and other uneven heating throughout the home, providing a uniform level of comfort.

Certain Low-e window films retain up to 55 percent of the home’s heat in winter by reflecting the heat back into the home rather than allowing it to pass through the glass to the outside. Once installed, window film may offer year-round savings of about 5 to 10 percent of the home’s total energy bill.

Privacy Films IIt is said that windows are the eyes to your home’s soul but allowing people to see directly into a home from the outside may not be desirable. Window films can help create privacy. Frosted privacy films are translucent and allow light to pass through while providing 24-hour privacy. Some privacy films provide daytime privacy be-cause they allow occupants to see outside, but prevents others from seeing in. This type of window film can also provide a residence with a uniform look from the outside without the unappealing look of shades and curtains haphazardly open or closed.

Health BenefitsWindow films can block up to 99 percent of harmful ultraviolet rays. Everyone is aware of sun exposure and skin cancer risks while outside, but few realize that the sun’s damaging rays can also stream into the home through windows, causing potential skin damage to anyone sitting near a window and in direct contact with the sun. Americans spend billions on anti-aging prevention and remedies that claim to reverse aging. The wise expres-sion, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” may prompt people to rethink how they are living in their homes. Why expose skin and décor to unnecessary UV rays that could lead to premature wrinkles, fading or worse? Window films significantly reduce the negative effects of the sun and allow occupants to safely enjoy more natural sunlight in their homes.

Safety BenefitsWindow film can also help mitigate damage to persons or property from glass fragments whenever glass breaks. When a window breaks, window film may help to hold the fragment pieces together preventing the pieces from traveling either inside or outside the home where it could potential cause harm to people. In summary, profes-sionally installed window films can achieve many of the same energy efficient benefits at a fraction of the cost of window replacement..

Easy Renovation Solution: Window Film Saves Older Windows and Improves their Energy EfficiencyBy Darrell Smith

(Editor’s note: A version of this article recently appeared in Modern Builder + Design and it is reprinted with permission)


An IWFA ViewEXCLUSIVE

The Report On An Energy Analysis for Window Films Applications in Florida Offices

EDITOR’S NOTE: The article below is a short excerpt from the study, which runs 11 pages in its entirety and therefore to large to be placed in full in the IWFA View. What is seen below is an excerpts showing one of the tables in the report, its methodology and the report’s summary conclusion. To read the entire report go to http://www.iwfa.com/professional/ProfessionalResources.aspx

Purpose of This Study/ Scope

The purpose of this study is to determine the cost-effectiveness of energy control window films in offices in Florida. If cost effective, win-dow films should be included in energy and green codes as well as energy efficiency pro-grams and incentives in Florida.

Energy Analysis

Description of Existing BaselinesThe office building modeled in the study is the EnergyPlus Commercial Building Benchmark Model developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), titled large office building. The energy features used to determine building performance were the DOE Reference Building Large Office Pre-1980. The office building is 12 stories with 498,588 square feet of conditioned floor area. The window-to-wall ratio was 38%. Office space conditioning is supplied by boilers (heating) and chillers (cooling). The occupancy schedule was 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday with two-hour shoulders to achieve and maintain occupancy comfort.

Description of VariablesThe offices were simulated with energy features from the relevant (pre-1980) energy code re-quirements in four Florida locations with city specific weather files. The cities were chosen in order to get a range of climate conditions and representative areas with the greatest popula-

tion. The cities were Jacksonville, Tampa, West Palm Beach and Miami. Jacksonville, Tampa and West Palm Beach are located in the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) Climate Zone 2 while Miami is in IECC Climate Zone 1. Both zones are considered hot and humid climates. To get a better understanding of the specific city climates, the heating and cooling degree-days for these four cities are listed below in TABLE 1. These cities are dominated by cooling load.

Cooling Degree Days 2,511 3,427 3,891 4,198Using data from window film manufacturers and the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) Certified Products Directory, the window films on the market were characterized into three groups, “good”, “better,” and “best” options, and a rounded median value chosen for solar heat gain coefficient – Copyright IWFA November 4, 2014

For the FULL report go to IWFA.com and down-load the report here:Here are the conclusions from this report:

ConclusionsExisting office buildings are an ideal opportu-nity for window film retrofits. They contain a large amount of glazing and cooling loads which typically dominate the energy use. The ROIs are high, even before utility incentives, which could

Table 1: Heating and Cooling Degree Days

Heating Degree Days Cooling Degree Days

1,434 2,511

725 3,427

323 3,891

20

Jacksonville

Tampa

West Palm Beach

Miami 4,198

(Florida Report, continued to page 12)


The evidence in favor of installing window film that repels nearly all of the sun’s ultraviolet rays (UV) on a vehicle’s side windows has never been more compelling. UVA is a type of solar radiation that does not burn you like the infrared spectrum does, or UVB rays. Plain glass generally prevents sunburn from UVB exposure.

But UVA rays are constantly present, no matter the season or the weather. If you think you can’t get sun damage on a cloudy day, tell that to the UVA rays. They are so powerful that they also penetrate some clothing and even glass.

Also UVA rays are responsible for the signs of aging because they are able to penetrate much deeper into the surface of the skin, damaging the cells beneath. This link to the New England Journal of Medicine dem-onstrates what UVA rays did to the left side of a long-time trucker’s facial skin http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMicm1104059.

But the health of truck drivers is only part of the problem. Everyday drivers are exposed to UV rays as well. Both UVA and UVB exposure can lead to skin cancer, whether it is ma-lignant or benign. The US Census Bureau reports the average commute time is about 25 minutes. And of course drivers want to return home after work, so that’s another 25 minutes behind a wheel of a vehicle. A vast majority of Americans, 86

percent says the Census Bureau, use a vehicle to get to work. That means millions of people are spending nearly an hour next to automotive windows that most likely do not offer protection from the sun’s harmful rays.

Medical research shows that a “statistically significant” cor-relation between areas of the body most often exposed to UV radiation while driving and the occurrence of skin cancers.

Typically, an automobile’s side and rear windows are made from glass that is designed to block UVB rays (the sun’s burning rays), but not the deeper-penetrating UVA rays.

In addition to protecting your skin, window films can also reduce vehicle air conditioning, fuel consumption and CO2. The U.S. Environmen-tal Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic and Safety

Administration (NHTSA) acknowledge the emissions benefits from lower air conditioning usage. Vehicles with window film show a lower cabin temperature by as much as 2.8°C (5°F) after one-hour. Vehicles retrofitted with window film showed fuel efficiency increases and CO2 emissions decreases of 3% for city driving and 2% for highway driving.

As an industry the IWFA wants all installers to be sure to fol-low the Visible Light Transmission (VLT) guidelines for states and jurisdictions. Be sure to visit the IWFA’s website to get the latest on what is allowed in your market.

Driving Home The Benefits of Automotive Window Film

be substantial. Installing window films in existing office buildings offers an 8% to 77% ROI. In gen-eral, the “best” window film outperformed the other window films. The ROIs for this film ranged from the 22% to the 77%. The simple payback for installing “best” window film is approximately 1.4 to 2.9 years when installed on single pane win-dows and 2.0 to 4.1 years when installed on dual pane windows depending on cost of electricity.

The standard improved SHGC films gave better ROI than the more expensive options of spec-trally selective (better U) or spectrally selec-tive with low-e films (best U). The energy saved by these low U- factor options is outweighed in office buildings by the higher cost for these technologies. This is due to office buildings be-ing dominated by cooling loads in the cooling

dominated Florida climate zones. The cost to improve SHGC from one standard film to the next is negligible (see Appendix), but the loss of visible transmittance can impact the choice of film between these options, balancing energy savings with such concerns as occupant comfort and exterior views.

Existing office buildings are a very attractive market for window film products. High ROIs can attract building managers to invest in this en-ergy efficiency technology. The payback periods will shorten if utility program incent window film installation. The existing office building retrofits represent a large market for energy efficiency improvements with minimum disruption to the building occupants.– Copyright IWFA November 4, 2014

(Florida Report, from page 11)


Visual content can communicate important messages in a more powerful way than text alone.. Visual storytelling is becoming the most compelling means of cutting through the clutter and reaching consumers more effectively.

Consider the fact that the U.S. automotive aftermarket includes 500,000 independent manufacturers, distributors, parts stores and repair shops, according to the Auto Care Association. It can be difficult for many consumers to choose the right products and services to keep their vehicle looking and running great.

That’s why Madico Window Films has developed an infographic to better educate auto consumers about the benefits of window film for their vehicle.

Many consumers still have misconceptions about window tints, despite the fact that today’s films are significantly higher performing, better looking and longer lasting than those of 20 or 30 years ago.

By visualizing two vehicles – one with window film and one without window film – consumers can clearly see the dramatic difference in protection (both to the occupants and vehicle), safety, comfort, solar rejection and aesthetics that window film

can offer. Madico created this piece both as a sales tool for dealers, and as a marketing tool to share on its website and social media channels.

In addition to highlighting the benefits of window film, the piece also includes some helpful answers to many common questions that consumers ask dealers. For example, many consumers need advice on how to choose between lighter and darker tints, and the relative

benefits of each. This piece gives consumers insights on what kinds of questions to ask their dealer, so that when they make a purchase decision, they feel confident they are making a good choice.

We hope that you’ll share this infographic with your networks! We look forward to sharing more visual content in the future.

Educating Consumers About The Benefits Of Automotive Window Film

Noteworthy News from IWFA Manufacturer Members

Products...Quality...Service...ValueAn industry leader for over 35 years, Johnson Window Films has always stood out from the crowd. We are a family owned

and operated business dedicated to providing outstanding win-dow film products throughout the world. All of our window film products are manufactured in Southern California by John-son Laminating and Coating, Inc., an ISO 9001-2008 certified company. Our ever-growing family of window film profession-

als share the common goals of personal success, customer sat-isfaction and making the world a cooler, more comfortable and safer place to live, through our energy saving and safety films.

Our company’s motto has long been “The Truth is in Our Films”, because we use the best raw materials and manufactur-ing practices. Every roll of film from Johnson passes through a rigorous multi-step quality control process, which is one of the most comprehensive in the industry. Try our films and let us know what you think. We’re sure you will appreciate the care and dedication we put into every product we offer and the very close relationship that you will have with our manufacturing unit.


The International Window Film Association is moving quickly to make the second ‘National Window Film Day’ a strong success to benefit the industry. National Window Film Day - Here’s What You Can Do!

As IWFA Members you have the opportunity to promote National Window Film Day (April 30) in your service area/s and reap the benefits. The IWFA is providing you with two

publicity items to help to build more awareness in your market about the many benefits of window film.

The first publicity item is a proclamation for National Window Film Day that you need to bring to your Mayor’s office for approval. The PDF form has FOUR blank areas where you need to fill-in the CITY NAME you are seeking the proclamation from. The FOUR blank areas ALL are next to the wording “City of ”. Use the ‘fill-in or ‘type in’ feature in Adobe Software to type in the name of the City, or neatly fill it in by hand.

The second publicity item is a short article that can be taken to your local paper. You can customize this at the bottom of the PDF document by using the ‘fill-in or ‘type in’ feature in Adobe Software to add in your contact information, or you can neatly add it in by hand.

When you get to the newspaper ask for the EDITOR and let that person know about National Window Film Day. Offer to take a reporter out on an installation job to see what window film can do. If the Editor accepts, BE SURE to clear this with a customer ahead of the reporter or editor showing up at your customer’s location. You need to be present with the reporter / editor when they are at your customer’s location.

These two steps can potentially reap a lot of FREE publicity for your business.

Both of these documents can be downloaded HERE.

Please share your progress with the IWFA by sending any news items or declared proclamations to [email protected]

Thank you,Jim FreemanChair, Members Action CommitteeIWFA

MEMBERS ACTION COMMITTEE UPDATE

IWFA Board of DirectorsOFFICERS

John P. Parker, PresidentNational Security & Window Filming

Jack Mundy, Vice PresidentEner-Gard Energy Products Inc

Jim Freeman, SecretaryTint America

Jeff Thompson, TreasurerSunsational Solutions

MEMBERS

Jim Mannix3M Renewable Energy Division

Lisa WincklerEastman Chemical Company

Sergio ShmilovitchHanita Coatings

Ken VickersJohnson Laminating & Coating, Inc.

MemberKDX Window Films

Jim BlackMadico, Inc.

Lawrence Constantin Saint-Gobain Solar Gard LLC

Josh BuisScorpion Window Film

P.O. Box 3871Martinsville, VA 24115Fax: 276-666-4933Email: [email protected]

Jim Freeman

http://www.iwfa.com/Events/NationalWindowFilmDay.aspx

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Window Film's Impact In Florida

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