SageGlass, Windows that can be Electronically Switched from Clear to Tinted, One of Top Ten Green Building Products for 2006

BuildingGreen, Inc., a publisher of green building news, has selected windows that can be electronically switched from clear to tinted, as one of the top ten energy efficiency products of 2006. Called SageGlass®, the product from Sage Electrochromics, Inc. uses "electrochromic" (EC) tungsten oxide coatings that turn dark when a voltage is applied to them, allowing automated or manual control of daylighting.

SageGlass® is an electronically tintable exterior glazing that provides glare control on demand while preserving views. Unlike earlier switchable glazing products that degraded with exposure to UV light, SageGlass is a multi-layer, thin-film tungsten-oxide coating that is as durable as low-emissivity coatings. The glazing uses 0.28 W/ft² to switch the glass from clear to tinted state, a process that takes several minutes, and 0.1 W/ft² to maintain that tinted state. Used with typical clear glass in an insulated glazing unit, SageGlass reduces the visible transmittance from 62% to 3.5% while reducing the solar heat gain coefficient from 0.48 to 0.09.

Sage Electrochromics, Inc. is partnering with numerous window, skylight, and curtainwall manufacturers to produce both commercial and residential products with this glazing control options; these products can provide energy savings, control peak electricity demand, enhance comfort, and potentially result in higher worker productivity. While SageGlass is currently very expensive (increasing the cost of insulated glass six- to seven-fold), Sage Electrochromics expects the cost to eventually become competitive with standard high-performance glazing combined with interior mechanized shades.

SageGlass panes are coated with five layers of ceramic materials, which have a total thickness that is less than 1/50^th that of a human hair. When voltage is applied across the coatings, ions travel from one layer to another layer, where a reversible solid-state change takes place, causing the coating to tint and absorb light. Reversing the polarity of the applied voltage causes the ions to migrate back to their original layer, and the glass returns to its clear state.

SAGE coats conventional float glass with layers of metal oxides using a vacuum deposition process called “sputtering,” which is the same process used to make hundreds of million square feet of low-e and double low-e glass each year. The coated SageGlass pane is then fabricated into an insulating glass unit (IGU) with another piece of glass (clear, tinted or laminated) and a stainless steel spacer.

The SageGlass product is supplied with a standard panel-mounted control system.  This control system can be operated by the user via a simple wall switch or integrated into a variety of different building management control systems, such as lighting, energy management, audio visual and security systems. When integrated in such a manner, SageGlass windows and skylights are controlled by inputs from, for example, timers, light sensors, motion sensors, lighting control and thermostats.

SageGlass IGUs come in four standard colors (the colors are a function of the inboard lite): Classic, See Green, Cool View Blue and Clear as Day Gray.  The differences among the colors can be seen in the light transmitted into the interior space, whereas the exterior reflected color varies little, no matter what color the SageGlass IGU is.

Because in most installations, SageGlass products eliminate the need for interior and exterior blinds and shading systems, glass-to-glass price comparisons are not appropriate. The reduction of other costs must also be considered given the unprecedented benefits provided by the SageGlass product. SageGlass products conserve energy and reduce first costs (smaller HVAC systems, for instance, can be used in many situations). Building maintenance costs are also lower because HVAC systems run less often, and there is no need to replace or repair shades and blinds. Thus, when the higher initial cost of SageGlass glazing is balanced with the reduced facilities and operating costs, the result can be a neutral impact on the project budget and in some cases could create cost savings.

Like many breakthrough products SageGlass technology initially carries a premium price. Importantly, the SageGlass IGU product lends itself to strong processing efficiencies and economies of scale.  SageGlass product is in the early stages of growth and cost reductions, not unlike the cost history of low-e, flat panel displays and cell phones.   As the market becomes aware of the many benefits of SageGlass products, and volumes increase, SAGE is setting up for a 60-70% cost reduction over the next five years, and then a further cost reduction of 30-40% over the following five years.   During this time the product performance and features will advance as well.

Comments

[alex]

i think PVC windows is really green windows,i bought PVC

windows from a Chinese factory which made PVC windows about 20 years and

exported to many countries, my many friends are satisfy with PVC

windows, i think it have this features:
(1) Keep warming
(2) Sound insulation
(3) not easy aging
(4) Good fireproofing
(5) Resist Impact
(6) Excellent watertightness and artightness
(7) Weight light, easy instalation.

I introduce this factory to you, their website

is:www.globalpvc.com/pvcwindows.htm, there you can get more

information about PVC windows.

[heating]

If you have looked into solar energy as a method for heating your home, panels are usually the first things that come up. There are, however, other unique methods.

The Solar Heating Aspect You Have Never Heard of Before

The power of the sun is immense. The energy in one day of sunlight is more than the world needs. The problem, of course, is how does one harness this power. Solar panels represent the obvious solution, but they have their downside. First, they can be expensive depending upon your energy needs. Second, they do not exactly blend in with the rest of your home.

Passive solar heating represents a panel free method of harnessing the inherent energy found in the sun for heating purposes. If you come out from a store and open the door of your car in the summer, you understand the concept of passive solar heating. A wide variety of material absorbs sunlight and radiates the energy back into the air in the form of heat. Passive solar heating for a home works the same way as the process which overheats your car in the parking lot.

[Zach Orbist]

I made my house from natural materials.
Bricks and wood.
The isolation is with the best stonewool there is. The windows NOT from pvc.

[Duncan Munday]

The power of solar power is underestimated. It is possible to make some small changes to the way you live that will save alot of energy. May I suggest using solar powered garden lights. They are very energy efficient and because they come in such a wide range of designs and styles, they can also bring something special to your exterior. Start helping the environment by making some small adaptations to how you live.

[Protn7]

COUNTDOWN TO PUBLICITY!!! Sometimes a great notion must be kept secret.. until it is patented. In the coming weeks we will have a major announcement to make about a composite structure that will increase the strength and utility and value of honeycomb sandwich composites and making it possible to use them in places they have never been used before. They will have longer operational lifetimes if they are used to replace already existing honeycomb panels. This simple multi-billion dollar concept will undoubtedly lower energy costs in the transportation sector and enable aircraft to fly faster and quieter.

Contact
Neil Farbstein
President
Vulvox Inc.
protn7@att.net

[building repair california]

excellent post!

[interior remodeling]

very interesting!

[painting contractor washington]

good to read posts such as this...

[low construction rates in ca]

this is good.

[residential cleaning service]

interesting to read...really caught my attention...

[Building Equipment]

I think that SageGlass, Windows that can be Electronically Switched from Clear to Tinted is a very good idea as far as building equipment is concerned. It can really be energy efficient.

[Bucket Trucks]

It is great that people are thinking about the environment and working to make the world a safer place. Not only the materials that you are using on your home are safe for the environment but dump trucks have come a long way since the earlier models. We are learning and expanding and coming up with a wide range of safer more effective vehicles for the work force. I think it is great that many auto manufacturers are turning to hybrid vehicles to protect the environment and now they are even using hybrid dump trucks.

[Roger Plans]

I would like to spend a few words on green buildings as I feel it's very important to understand this:

A sustainable building, or green building is an outcome of a design which focuses on increasing the efficiency of resource use — energy, water, and materials — while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment during the building's lifecycle, through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal.

Green buildings are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by:

* Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources
* Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity
* Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation

A similar concept is natural building, which is usually on a smaller scale and tends to focus on the use of natural materials that are available locally.

Other commonly used terms include sustainable design and green architecture.

The related concepts of sustainable development and sustainability are integral to green building. Effective green building can lead to:

1) reduced operating costs by increasing productivity and using less energy and water,

2) improved public and occupant health due to improved indoor air quality, and

3) reduced environmental impacts by, for example, lessening storm water runoff and the heat island effect.

Practitioners of green building often seek to achieve not only ecological but aesthetic harmony between a structure and its surrounding natural and built environment, although the appearance and style of sustainable buildings is not necessarily distinguishable from their less sustainable counterparts.

[Account Deleted]

Bureau of Energy Efficiency , India is organizing a half day under NATIONAL Energy Conservation in Buildings (ECBC) AWARENESS PROGRAMME

to spread awareness among architects, builders/developers and Facade consultants on 10th July 2009 at Hotel Ramada Plaza, 19, Ashoka Rd, New Delhi,New Delhi Ph – 09811709609

Participation to this workshop is free. Please confirm your participation on following e-mail addresses:

abhattacharji@beenet.in , sbassi@beenet.in

[Digger Derrick Truck]

Interesting article. Thanks for sharing.

[Bucket Truck]

interesting! thanks for sharing!

[Retractable Awnings]

To protect your window from rain and direct sunlight(which is sometimes not good for the glass) we should use the awnings. There are a lot of them available in the market these days.

[Business Process Modelling Training,Australia]

Solar panels represent the obvious solution, but they have their downside...............

[generic viagra]

Operating systems are a problem and a benefit for all, the importance of them is to help us interact with hardware, but in the end I really liked your post, thanks for sharing!

[jaramad]

I did like the article really much, was really informative and the best part was that only the required part was elaborated, to the point concise information always helps and keeps readers running around digging for the information’s will never require a reread. I really wish spammers read these articles and check how easy it is to be human and respect knowledge.

This is a awesome write-up, im happy I came across this. Ill be back again later on to check out other posts that you have on your blog.

[rez]

I have been visiting related blogs and sites lately and i have to admit you have a nice design and content. I have bookmarked your page and hope to mention your post in my upcoming blog.

[buy wholesale]

And thorium also scores better on the commercially viable index.

[Dan]

I find it hard to tell what is green and what type of window is really low impact. I do like the sound of these electronically tintable windows.

http://selectmaterialscom.moonfruit.com/#/demolition/4538844478

[Free Standing Awning]

Thanks for this insight - I always look for these kind of windows for my meeting rooms. Free standing awnings can change too, watch here: Free Standing Awning

[bucket trucks]

I think this is a great idea for skyscrapers and other large tall buildings. Small home owners can even find relief from the heat by using this method.

[Truck Rental]

Wow. This place is extremely beautiful. I wish I will go this place in my coming holidays. In fact, this is really great idea for skyscrapers.

[تقنية المعلومات]

i always think this is the best way to do it right

[fire curtains]

That is totally awesome. It's like a Christmas light that changes color every now and then. It seems very appealing to people whenever they witness one.

[Roman Balick]

very interesting article, thanks for sharing this helpful ideas.

http://www.micro-tronik.com/

[MOT Type 1 Limestone]

I saw something very similar on Grand Designs. The glass could become clear or frosted by appying an electrical charge to a gas in between two electrical plates simply by the flick of aq switch. Not much good in a powercut.

[Lola Taylor]

Anytime you are planning a new construction project, you want to make sure you have the all of your building materials. But not only that you have all of the building materials
you need, they must be good quality materials. So many times you hear of things falling apart because of the lack of stability. One way to avoid that is to check in to Builderspace for your materials and see what tips or materials they have that may be helpful to you.

[plumbing]

I think this switch can help us to save energy. This material can also cover us from UV light. It is also lessen the load of skyscrapers.Go green!