Exploring Smart-Glass Technology

In the January/February 2016 Urban Land Magazine issue, the Smart Glass out of the Shadows feature explores the reasons behind smart-glass technology’s burst of popularity in recent years. PAYETTE’s Chris Blomquist also contributes his views on the technology. 

The smart-glass tinting technology has been around for decades, but a big factor in the increased demand is the arrival of new generations of technologies including the ability to manufacture larger panes of smart-glass.

Benefits of Smart-Glass

Smart-glass windows not only block glare from the sun, but also solar heat gain indoors which has the potential to lower a building’s electricity use and energy cost. As explained in the Urban Land article, buildings account for 40% of the total U.S. energy consumption and more than 70% of electricity use, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE). Using computer simulations to test certain types of automatically tinting windows, the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in 2010 determined such windows could reduce air conditioning consumption in a typical building by up to 49% and lower peak electricity demand by up to 16%.

Urban Land’s Jeffrey Spivak reached out to PAYETTE, speaking with Chris Blomquist (Associate, PAYETTE) about View’s smart-glass technology product Electrochromic Glass. For our Alexandria Real Estate Equities project, the product was proposed for the atrium skylight at a health care laboratory and office building in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Urban Land spoke with View officials, who say ‘the return on investment for the windows typically ranges from months to five years, depending on the size of the installation.‘                

Atrium Skylight at 75-125 Binney Street, Alexandria Real Estate Equities

In Urban Land’s feature ‘Smart Glass out of the Shadows’, you can read about other places using the different types of smart-glass products such as; the Spirit Lake Casino in northeaster North Dakota, rooftop garden terrace at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for Performing Art and the Lory Student Center ballroom at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado which has floor-to-ceiling windows.

*Please note, to read the full Urban Land article a subscription to the magazine is required.