Window Energy Rating Scheme
http://www.wers.net/
The Window Energy Rating Scheme enables windows to be rated and labelled for their annual energy impact on a whole house, in any climate of Australia. A New Zealand variant of WERS, the ‘Window Efficiency Rating Scheme’, is also available.
To participate in WERS, window makers must obtain energy ratings for their products from a rating organisation that is accredited by the AFRC (Australian Fenestration Rating Council)
The Window Energy Rating Scheme is managed by the Australian Window Association (AWA).
WERS is independent of any one manufacturer and acts as a fair, rigorous and credible system for testing performance claims. WERS-rated windows must meet all relevant Australian standards. The scheme forms part of the quality assurance that smart manufacturers offer their customers. It is all about certified performance.
To realise their full potential, WERS ratings are designed to ‘plug in’ to NatHERS, Australia’s Nationwide House Energy Rating Software. Similarly, the FirstRate house energy rating software from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Victoria will accept data for ‘real’ windows. This enables designers to ‘kick the tyres’ of different windows during a rating before final selection is made.