Yes — but not because of CE marking. Here is what a US project actually needs documented, how European figures translate, and where hurricane zones change the answer.
This is the single most common misunderstanding. EN 14351-1 and CE marking are mandatory in the European Union and document tested performance — but no US building official accepts them in place of a US product approval. They are two separate frameworks.
That does not mean European windows cannot be used. It means the US documentation is its own exercise, arranged alongside the order rather than assumed to come with the product.
What a project needs depends heavily on where it is. A residential project in a mild climate zone and a coastal building in a high-velocity hurricane zone are not remotely the same task.
Rarely all of it at once. Which items apply follows from location, occupancy and the energy code in force.
| Area | What is required | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Thermal performance | NFRC certified U-factor, SHGC and VT | Energy code compliance, ENERGY STAR eligibility, utility rebates |
| Structural & weather | AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101 performance grade | Design pressure, air leakage, water penetration — stated as e.g. LC-PG50 |
| Impact & hurricane | Florida Product Approval · Miami-Dade NOA | Large and small missile impact plus cyclic pressure in high-velocity zones |
| Egress | IRC / IBC clear-opening rules | Minimum clear width, height and area; maximum sill height in sleeping rooms |
| European declaration | CE marking, EN 14351-1 | Mandatory in the EU — evidence of tested performance, but not a US approval |
European and US thermal figures describe the same property on different scales. To convert, divide the European Uw value by 5.678. Our best-performing systems sit far below typical US requirements — Schüco AWS 90.SI+ publishes a frame Uf as low as 0.71 W/(m²·K), and AWS 75.BS.SI+ reaches Uw 0.78 for opening elements. Be aware that a converted number is an indication: an NFRC rating is measured on NFRC reference sizes and boundary conditions, so the certified figure is established separately.
US codes set a minimum clear opening for emergency escape. A tilt and turn sash swings fully inward and usually gives a generous clear opening — but the numbers depend on sash and frame.
Coastal Florida and other high-velocity zones require impact-tested products with matching approval documentation.
Where an NFRC-certified U-factor and SHGC are required — for permits, ENERGY STAR or utility programs — that certification is established for the project.
We manufacture as a certified Schüco fabricator to the system supplier's specifications and use the corresponding test certificates for the systems we supply — including impact-rated configurations for hurricane zones. Because requirements differ so much by location, the applicable approval is confirmed for each project before the order is placed, together with any configuration limits that follow from it. If a requirement cannot be met for a given opening, we say so at the quotation stage rather than at delivery.
European windows are built and tested to European standards such as EN 14351-1, which is not the same framework as a US building code. In practice a project needs three things documented: thermal performance (usually an NFRC-based U-factor and SHGC), structural and weather performance (AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101 performance grade), and — in hurricane zones — an impact approval such as a Florida Product Approval or a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance. European systems can meet these requirements, but the documentation is separate from CE marking and is arranged per project.
No. CE marking under EN 14351-1 declares performance to European standards and is mandatory in the EU. It is not recognised as a US product approval and no US building official will accept it in place of one. It is useful evidence of tested performance, but the US documentation is a separate exercise.
They measure the same physical property but on different scales. Uw is stated in W/(m²·K); the US U-factor is stated in BTU/(h·ft²·°F). To convert, divide the Uw value by 5.678. A window with Uw 0.78 W/(m²·K) is therefore approximately U-factor 0.14 — a very low figure by US standards. Be aware that European and NFRC methods use different reference sizes and boundary conditions, so a converted number is an indication, not an NFRC-certified rating.
Often yes, but it must be checked per opening. US codes require a minimum clear opening area, minimum clear width and height, and a maximum sill height for emergency escape and rescue openings in sleeping rooms. A tilt and turn sash swings fully inward, which usually produces a generous clear opening — but the clear dimensions depend on the sash size and the frame, so egress rooms are dimensioned deliberately rather than assumed.
Yes, with impact-rated configurations and the corresponding approval documentation. Coastal Florida and other high-velocity hurricane zones require products tested to large and small missile impact plus cyclic pressure. We supply on the Schüco system platforms for which such approvals exist, manufacture as a certified Schüco fabricator to the system specifications, and use the corresponding test certificates. The specific approval for a project is confirmed before order.
We do, together with the system supplier — but it is agreed per project rather than assumed. Requirements differ substantially between a residential project in a mild climate zone and a coastal high-velocity hurricane zone. Tell us the project location and use early; that determines which documentation applies and whether any configuration limits follow from it.
Location and use determine which requirements apply. Send us both with your opening sizes and we will confirm what is needed before anything is ordered.