| Electrochromic Update: Tintable Glass Going Solar? |
| Written by Philip Proefrock | ||
| Wednesday, 27 December 2006 | ||
 We posted an introduction to electrochromic
glass earlier this year. This is glass with a coating that allows the
glass to be darkened by applying a small electric current to it. By
darkening the glass, it is possible to block most of the visible and UV
light and thereby keep the building's interior cooler.
Late last week, my architectural office had a visit from a couple of representatives from the manufacturer, Sage Glass. In addition to having a display sample of the material which they showed (giving me a chance to see this material in person for the first time), they also had some information about what is forthcoming with electrochromic glass. The present configuration for electrochromic glass is binary control; it's either on or off (though it takes it a few minutes to go from one to the other). However, the company anticipates that, by 2008, they will be providing adjustable controls that will let users set an intermediate level of shading with the glass. It will be possible to block a portion of the light, and make more gradual transitions than are now possible. They also note that they are working on developing photovoltaic power for their windows. Can SageGlass be powered with photovoltaics (solar cells)? This is still an expensive product. It currently costs around $100 per square foot for the glass. But, as demand increases and they are able to increase their production level, they are expecting the prices on this material to come down in the coming years. Link: Sage Glass
Comments
(2)
re: ec glass
written by eewei , June 14, 2007
hi, but i thought the system of ec now could set the amount of glare to get in right?
...
written by CHRIS J , March 15, 2008
The technology is not forthcoming, it already exists in a basic tinted solar powered glass. The structural certification of such material is the facade of the holdup while industrial management is at the heart of the delay. If you could charge $100/sq.ft. for glass that requires additional investment to operate why, as a corporatist, would you make any effort to produce a cost cutting green alternative that would replace your profit margin with consumer peace of mind? The answer is that you, the corporate hive mind, would actually kill any idea that threatens the status quo...
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