[MassHistPres] mandated replacement sash?

[Dennis De Witt]

Russ

Thanks for this additional background info.  Obviously, the insulating glass (IG) replacement window (or sash) assumption/bias of the article in the Globe (which runs daily full page Anderson ads) is exactly what should concern us all.  

I’d suggest it’s important to go beyond your appropriate comments about the benefits of retaining and restoring old buildings.  

One frustrating response form home owners who have bought the replacement sash sales pitch is that they don’t care if it fails in 20 or 25 years because they will have sold by then.  I’d suggest that it is very important for the preservation and green communities to jointly make the case that any legislation such as this proposal must be based on the almost indefinite lifetime economics of the historic building — not those of the transient present owner.  Whatever minor marginal energy savings there might be between IG replacement sash and good storms (if there are any savings at all when infiltration is considered) must be considered in this long run.  

The replacement sash will be repeatedly replaced — probably about four times per century — and thus any marginal  energy  savings difference will never offset the cost of the repeated sash replacements each time the IG fails.

Dennis De Witt
Brookline


> On Apr 6, 2018, at 11:40 AM, Russ Feldman <rfeldman at tbaarchitects.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi Dennis,
> The Massachusetts AIA tracks legislation like this through their Government Affairs Committee, which I chair.  John Nunnari, Mass AIA’s Executive Director (jnunnari at architects.org <mailto:jnunnari at architects.org>), is generally our point person on these matters. 
> The proposed legislation actually doesn’t stipulate that windows be double glazed, replaced, or any other specific physical solution.  Its focus is on energy conservation and it establishes an “energy performance rating” and an “energy scorecard” that standardizes measurement of the energy efficiency of a building.  Acting through utilities and the state government this will become an index that all property sellers and buyers would have access to.  
> Debate is just starting on the bill so the details are still in flux.  It appears to require that property owners pay for some aspect of this analysis with some financial offsets for lower income homeowners.  At this time the proposal is only for residential properties.
> This may affect the value of historic houses and, more generally, older homes.  Older buildings may not be as tight or highly insulated, resulting in relatively higher operating costs.  This scorecard will illustrate this and that may affect the market price.   
> The article that Dennis mentions misstates the proposal but it reflects the common misunderstanding that new windows are always better than refurbished older ones.  Many preservationists understand that the most energy efficient thing to do is to make use of existing buildings rather than tear them down, and this can also be the case for restoring individual building elements as well.  It’s important to make that somewhat more complicated picture better understood by the public.
> AIA Mass is tracking this and we’re happy to keep interested parties posted about this proposal’s progress.  We also invite you to get in touch with John or myself (at rfeldman at tbaarchitects.com <mailto:rfeldman at tbaarchitects.com>) to get the specific language of the proposal.  When the time comes, it may be important to reach out to your legislators so they understand how this proposal might affect historic preservation.
> Russ
>  
>  
> <image001.jpg>
> M. Russel Feldman, AIA, NCARB
> Principal | TBA Architects, Inc.
> 43 Bradford Street, Suite 300 | Concord MA 01742
> tel: 781 893-5828 x 25 | mobile: 617 429-5033
> www.tbaarchitects.com <http://www.tbaarchitects.com/>
>  
>  
>  
> From: MassHistPres [mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu <mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu>] On Behalf Of Dennis De Witt
> Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2018 3:59 PM
> To: masshistpres <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu <mailto:masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>>
> Subject: [MassHistPres] mandated replacement sash?
>  
> 
> 
> Did you see this story in yesterday’s Globe?  
>  
> It was headlined
> Could your home make the grade? Governor seeks to mandate energy-efficiency scores
> 
> 
> And had this lead photo caption:
> Having air-tight windows that use double-pane glass is one of the criteria a home would be judged on under a bill before the Legislature.
> 
> 
> And this intro text:
> Homeowners could soon have a new reason to button their homes up tight: a bad grade on an energy-efficiency report card.  Governor Charlie Baker on Tuesday filed legislation to require a home energy rating to be included in listings when a property is offered for sale. The bill, if approved by lawmakers, would make Massachusetts the first state in the nation with such a requirement.  Proponents say the bill could prompt homeowners to modernize their homes by adding insulation, replacing windows, or installing high-tech HVAC systems. 
> 
> 
> Has anyone been tracking this?  
> Does the draft legislation favor or mandate IG and replacement sash over storms as the article suggests?  
> Have there been hearings?
> 
> Best 
> 
> 
> 
> Dennis De Witt
> Brookline

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