CARB
to Release New Draft of Auto Glass Regulations in October; Latest
Suggestions Offered at Recent Workshop
October 1, 2009
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is scheduled to release
a new draft of its new auto glass regulations in October. The group
recently held a workshop to go over some proposed changes to the
previous draft of the regulations, and to hear feedback from various
industry sectors, according to Dr. Marijke Bekken, the CARB representative
overseeing the process.
Among the proposed changes to the regulations is one that allows
an alternate performance option for 2016 and subsequent
model year vehicles. This would provide auto manufacturers with
the option of utilizing an alternate vehicle systems-based
performance approach that results in equivalent solar control
as would be provided by the solar glazing option. The regulations,
in their current form, call for windshields, sidelites and backlites
for 2016 and later model year vehicles to have a total solar transmission
of less than or equal to 40 percent.
The proposed change also would mandate that the alternatives be
approved in advance by the Executive Officer.
Another proposed would add the wording that they will apply to
secondary manufacturers as well as automotive manufacturers.
Secondary manufacturers would include recreational vehicle manufacturers,
Bekken said.
Secondary manufacturers are people who take vehicles
and make them into something different, she told glassBYTEs.com/AGRR
magazine.
Bekken said this change came from requests from this particular
industry sector.
They wanted clarification from us, she said. We
still consider that to be a new vehicle.
Potential labeling requirements for solar glazing that meets the
regulations also are being proposed. The recent proposal calls for
the glass to be marked in a font of a size and nature similar
to that for the DOT code, model number and ANSI code. For
example, the glass might be marked C58 for a glazing certified
to have a Tts no more than 58 percent.
Manufacturers also would need to apply a vinyl label to the glass
after it is made that reads, This glass is designed to reduce
interior temperatures compared to standard glass and meets all ARB
regulation. The label would need to be placed such that it
is fully visible when installed, and, for sidelites, it shall
be visible in the fully closed position, according to the
draft of the 15-day propsed changes.
The original draft of the regulations showed labeling as
reserved, Bekken said. In general, the [industry]
response was that theres a lot of stuff already on the glass,
so we tried to keep [the labeling requirement] small.
Though these proposed changes will be officially released in the
form of a 15-Day Regulation Language in October, Bekken
said she released this draft at the recent workshop to begin getting
some feedback early
The topics were approved by the Board, she said. I
wanted to get some feedback from people, because when I release
the 15-day changes, the industry has 15 days to comment on them.
If the changes are substantial, I might have to do another set of
15-day changes, and I dont want to have to do that.
Though the regulations call for reduced solar transmission levels
for glass in vehicles manufactured and sold in California for vehicles
with the model year 2012 or later (and increase the regulations
further in 2016), Bekken noted that that the requirement is a performance
requirement.
We dont specify the compliance method, she said.
Likewise, Bekken confirmed that the regulations will reply to replacement
glass as wellbut only for vehicles made in the specified late-model
years.
If you replace your [solar management] windshield with one
that doesnt have solar management, your air conditioner is
sized for that solar management glazing, and [without it] you might
end up running it more than you would have before, she explained.
This would defeat the ultimate goal of the regulations, which is
to comply with AB 32a California initiative designed to decrease
the states greenhouse gas initiatives.
Though this will increase the costs of the glass, Bekken noted
that CARB did much analysis on this topic and determined it to be
a very small increase; she also advised that CARB consulted with
insurers early on regarding how they might be impacted.
We spoke to a number of insurance companies during the rule
development process and
we found the difference in cost isnt
expected to have any effect on the premiums people pay, because
the amount of their cost is extremely small, she said. Maybe
you pay an extra $25 for the windshieldthats not a whole
lot of difference.
Once the official proposed changes and final drafts are released
in October, the industry will have 15 days to make comments. These
changes and the draft are expected to be available at the end of
October, Bekken said.
CLICK
HERE for a full draft of the regulations, released earlier this
year.
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