CRRC Validation Testing

• The CRRC will terminate any product listed on the CRRC Rated Roof Products Directory that has not completed and passed Validation Testing every seven (7) years.

• Any product with an active CRRC rating will be due every seven (7) years for Validation Testing with the exception of Reference and Blend Assembly products. Reference and Blend Assembly products are excluded from Validation Testing, but are indirectly subject to Validation Testing through the parent product.

• Products shall undergo Validation Testing by a CRRC-designated Test Lab.

• Products may also be manually selected for Challenge Testing to address a specific need, including but not limited to unresolved testing from a previous Random Testing or Validation Testing Program year, or in response to a concern or formal complaint as outlined in Chapter 6 of the CRRC-1 Roof Product Rating Program Manual.

• The Licensee has the option to re-rate a product that is due for Validation Testing without going through the Validation Testing process. If the Licensee chooses to re-rate the product without going through Validation Testing, the Reformulated or Retested Product Rating Procedure shall be followed in accordance with section 3.9 and Appendix 6 of the CRRC-1 Roof Product Rating Program Manual. The existing rating may be retained until the new rating is published or until the December 31st of the Validation Testing year, whichever is sooner.

1. Each year, the CRRC will send all Test Labs an invitation to participate in the Validation Testing Program; Test Labs may opt out of participating.

2. For Test Labs that confirm their participation, they:

   1. Agree to test products for the Validation Testing Program for a predefined, negotiated price per product that may vary by product type, and

   2. Will be assigned products by the CRRC based on laboratory availability on a rotating basis. To increase efficiency and prevent delays, the CRRC will refrain from assigning new products to the same Test Lab if the Test Lab has not submitted Validation Testing results for previously assigned products.

3. The CRRC will inform the Test Lab when a product has been assigned to be shipped to them.

   1. The Test Lab should expect to receive the Validation Testing product from the Licensee within approximately 15 days of being notified.

   2. If the Test Lab has not received the Validation Testing product within 15 days of being notified, they should contact the CRRC.

4. The Test Lab shall inspect the Validation Testing package upon receipt to ensure that the Validation Testing samples were not damaged during shipping, Validation Testing samples are properly labeled, and confirm that a copy of the Sample Tag is enclosed.

   1. If the Validation Testing samples have been damaged during shipping, incorrectly or not labeled, or the package does not contain a copy of the Sample Tag, the Test Lab shall notify the CRRC immediately.

5. The AITL is required to photograph Specimens of all products undergoing Validation Testing. The photographs shall be uploaded to the CRRC Online Rating Portal, along with the test results (see Appendix 4).

6. CRRC-designated Test Labs must conduct testing of the Validation Testing specimens according to the most current CRRC approved test methods and report the test results via the CRRC Online Rating Portal within four (4) weeks of receipt of the test specimens.

7. The Test Lab will directly invoice the CRRC at the predetermined negotiated amount per product.

8. The CRRC will review the Validation Testing results prior to paying the Test Lab invoice.

9. The Test Lab is required to hold the Specimens for at least one month (30 calendar days) following completion of testing.

When a rated product participates in Validation Testing, the CRRC will inform the Licensee which Test Lab they will need to ship the Validation Testing specimens to. The Licensee must ship the Validation Testing specimens directly to the CRRC-designated Test Lab within 15 calendar days of the Test Lab designation.

1. When preparing the Validation Testing package before shipping it to the Test Lab, the Licensee shall

   1. Label the untested side (back) of each Validation Testing specimen with the CRRC Product ID

   2. Package Validation Testing specimens appropriately to ensure that the specimens are not damaged during shipping

   3. Include a copy of the Sample Tag from the CRRC Online Rating Portal in the package

   4. Include a copy of a Safety Data Sheet and a Technical Data Sheet containing application instructions in the package, if applicable

Licensees are responsible for shipping the Sample directly to the CRRC-designated AITL. Samples can be provided by a routine production batch, a one-time/single-run batch, a retain sample, a separate party (e.g., fabricator or private label producer), or a lab batch, as long as traceability is provided.

The Sample size that Licensees ship to AITLs for Validation Testing will vary by product type. Standard product specimens shall be a minimum of 10.2 centimeters by 15.2 centimeters (4 inches by 6 inches) in size following the requirements outlined in Section S.3 of ANSI/CRRC S100. For all product types except Variegated, Wood and Multi-Shade Polymer/Composite, and Tile products, one (1) Specimen from one (1) lot/batch must be shipped, but two (2) Specimens from one (1) lot/batch is recommended.

Asphalt and Stone Coated Metal Shingle products shall have a minimum dimension of 25.4 centimeters by 91.4 centimeters (10 inches by 36 inches) of exposure surface. Asphalt and Metal Shingle Specimens shall include at least two (2) full courses of exposure surface in height following the requirements outlined in Section S.3.4 of ANSI/CRRC S100.

Variegated products that are not Asphalt or Stone Coated Metal Shingle products, shall have and area of at least 10.2 by 25.4 centimeters (4 inches by 10 inches) and shall include at least two (2) Specimens from one (1) lot/batch that properly represents the variation of the product following the requirements outlined in Section S.3.4 of ANSI/CRRC S100.

Wood and Multi-Shade Polymer/Composite products, shall be shipped in arrays of three (3) panels to capture the widest range of color variation. Each array shall contain one light-colored panel, one medium-colored panel, and one dark-colored panel following the requirements outlined in Section S.2.2(F) of ANSI/CRRC S100.

Tile products both mono-color and variegated, shall undergo the following process following the requirements outlined in Section S.3.2 of ANSI/CRRC S100:

• Tiles shall be flat, unless only Profiled products are available.

• The Licensee will cut nine (9) Samples to approximately 15 centimeters by 15 centimeters (6 inches by 6 inches) from nine (9) Tiles, unless cut tiles cannot be provided.

Validation Testing for Liquid-Applied Roof Coatings and Single-Ply Membranes

When the AITL receives a container of liquid coating, the AITL will apply the coating to a bare aluminum panel (10.2 centimeters by 15.2 centimeters or 4 inches by 6 inches in size) following the Manufacturer’s application instructions. The AITL may also receive an aluminum panel with the Liquid-Applied Roof Coating already applied. In either case, the AITL must conduct a Coating Thickness test in accordance with Chapter 2.0 of the CRRC-1 Roof Product Rating Program Manual. The average Thickness of the measured coating for each Specimen must be within 20% of the Manufacturer’s recommended minimum Thickness. Thickness testing must also be completed for Single-Ply Membrane products in accordance with Section 2.2.8 Single-Ply Thickness Tests.

Validation Testing for Rough Substrates

Actively rated coating products applied to a Rough Substrate are eligible for Validation Testing selection and are subject to the requirements outlined in the CRRC-1 Roof Product Rating Program Manual. Products due for Validation Testing must undergo the Specimen preparation and initial testing procedure as described in Appendix 10. A completed copy of the Coatings on Rough Substrates Excel Reporting Tool must be provided to the CRRC along with the test results.

Validation Testing for Color Family Product Ratings

The Validation Testing Program will verify that the Hunter L, a, b color coordinates are correct and that the product has been placed in the appropriate Color Family. The Radiative Properties of the product measured through Validation Testing must meet the requirements set forth in the “Evaluating Validation Testing Results” section below.

Validation Testing for Color Family Representative Elements

If a Color Family Representative Element fails Validation Testing, the entire Color Family, including Additional Elements, are considered out of compliance with the requirements in the CRRC Roof Product Rating Program. To keep the Color Family active, the Licensee must:

1. Submit a Formula Change or Retesting application for the Representative Element and the Additional Elements will be moved to reference the new Representative Element. Once the reformulated application has approved Initial Test Results, the failed Representative Element will be Replaced or will Terminate at the end of the year (December 31), whichever is sooner. Or,

2. The Licensee may convert an Additional Element to become the Representative for that Color Family by submitting a new Representative Element application and proceeding with the Initial and Aged Testing Requirements located in Section 3.5. The other Additional Elements will be moved to reference the new Representative Element and the failed Representative Element will Terminate at the end of the year (December 31).

If the Licensee does not proceed with either of the above options, then all of the product ratings included in the Color Family shall be Terminated and removed from the Rated Products Directory at the end of the year (December 31).

Validation Testing for Color Family Additional Elements
If a Color Family Additional Element fails Validation Testing, it is removed from the CRRC Rated Roof Products Directory without influencing the rest of the Color Family Group. The Additional Element will Terminate at the end of the year (December 31).

The objective of Validation Testing is for the CRRC to evaluate the product that was originally submitted for CRRC Rating. In the case of Compound Ratings, where multiple products are listed under one CRRC Product ID, the manufacturer should submit the same specimen profile that was originally tested. If the original profile is not available, the submitted specimen will still be evaluated under the below criteria. The results of Validation Testing will be compared to the data reported in the Portal. The product is deemed to have passed the Validation Test if:

1. The Solar Reflectance test results are no more than ±0.05 from the listed initial product rating, and
2. The Thermal Emittance test results
- are no more than ±0.05 for products with an initial emittance of 0.30 or less from the listed initial product rating, or
- no more than ±0.10 for products with an initial emittance greater than 0.30 from the listed initial product rating.

For example, if the listed initial Solar Reflectance is 0.50, then any test result that is between 0.45 and 0.55 (inclusive) is considered passing.

If the Validation Test results meet the threshold above, the product is considered to have passed Validation Testing for the year and the product’s rating will remain active for an additional seven (7) years. If the results from the Validation Test differ from the listed initial product ratings beyond the threshold described above, the CRRC will follow the procedure below for retesting the Samples.

When a product fails to meet the requirements of Validation Testing with passing results, the CRRC will notify the Licensee and request that new samples from a different batch or production source from the first Validation Test be shipped to a second CRRC-designated Test Lab for validation testing following the Validation Testing Procedures.

If the product meets the requirements of Validation Testing in the second test, then the product has passed Validation Testing, and the product's rating remains active for an additional seven (7) years and the Licensee will be notified that the product has completed the Validation Testing Program.

If the results from the second test do not meet the requirements set forth in the “Evaluating Test Results” section above, the CRRC will notify the Licensee that the product is out of compliance with the requirements of the CRRC Roof Product Rating Program, and the product shall be Terminated and removed from the Rated Roof Products directory at the end of the year (December 31). Terminated products are not eligible for reactivation. The Licensee shall cease and discontinue the use of the CRRC product label on the failed product as is described in the Licensee Agreement upon termination on December 31.

If a product that is being Privately-Labeled is Terminated due to a Validation Testing failure, all corresponding product ratings (i.e. Reference ratings) that rely on the original Manufacturer’s rating will also be Terminated. If any of the products listed under a Compound Rating fails Validation Testing, including the representative, the complete product listing shall be Terminated.

All products will be required to participate in Validation Testing to maintain their rating on the Directory with the exception of Reference products and Blend Assemblies. Reference products are excluded because their parent product is required to participate in Validation Testing. If you are the manufacturer of the “parent product” in this scenario, it is important to have your product validated because the companies referencing your product rely on you to keep the rating active.

The same is true for Blend Assemblies, which are made up of a blend of multiple other products that are subjected to Validation Testing.

A product's rating is required to be validated with passing test results seven (7) years from Initial approval or from the last Random Testing or Validation Testing year, whichever is more recent, and every seven (7) years thereafter.

There will be no CRRC Validation Testing fees, but to offset the costs due to the increased number of products that will be validated each year, CRRC Annual Product Renewal fees will incur an increase (shown above), effective with the 2025 Renewals cycle.

Under Validation Testing, products are tested using the current CRRC approved test methods, as opposed to the method that was used for initial testing. Before submitting Validation Testing decisions, Licensees should review the test methods used for Initial Testing located in the CRRC Portal application, as a difference in test methods may affect your results.

Products that do not have passing Validation Testing test results will automatically be terminated on December 31st of the seventh (7th) year. It is the responsibility of the Licensee to submit Validation Testing decisions early in the seventh (7th) year and to ship product specimens to the CRRC selected laboratory providing adequate time for the selected test lab to complete testing and submit test results for the Validation Testing Program, assuming two tests will be required. If the product passes Validation Testing on the first test, a second test will not be required, but the Licensee should plan for enough time for the second test results to be submitted, in the case it fails the first test.

Challenge Testing is Validation Testing that is triggered by concerns raised by a CRRC Licensee, the CRRC, or another entity about Product Ratings that are listed on the CRRC Rated Roof Products Directory.