Commercial building owners and managers will invest an estimated $960 billion globally between 2016 and 2023 on making their existing built infrastructure more environmentally friendly. Commercial businesses are fast realising the long-term savings that can be achieved by increasing the energy efficiency of their business premises. Being energy efficient not only provides organisations with financial cost savings through reduced energy costs but also enables them to be more environmentally compliant.
Unsurprisingly, smart glass windows have become an increasingly popular feature in commercial design not only due to the aesthetic value they offer but because of their innate ability to increase the energy efficiency of commercial buildings. We analyse the role of smart glass windows in “greening” an existing built infrastructure and the long term savings it can afford commercial organisations.
How smart glass windows work
Smart glass windows utilise SPD technology. With SPDs, suspended particle devices, a thin laminate of nano-scale particles is suspended in a liquid and placed between two pieces of glass. When voltage is not applied, the suspended particles are randomly organized, blocking and absorbing light from passing through the window (opaque mode). When voltage is applied, the suspended particles align and allow light to pass through the window (transparent mode).
By varying the voltage, the direction of the suspended particles changes, controlling the tint of the windows and the amount of light transmitted. SPD smart glass windows can essentially be manually or automatically “tuned” to precisely control the amount of light, glare and heat passing through.
Significant and sustainable results
While smart glass windows may require a larger initial investment than a combination of ordinary glass windows with blinds or curtains, they will certainly serve to prove the more cost-effective and affordable option in the long run. By enabling the ability to control the amount of heat and light passing through the window, smart glass windows can consistently and significantly reduce energy consumption.
Within just a few years, businesses will have already recouped the difference in the cost of smart glass windows vs. a combination of conventional glass windows and curtains or blinds. Smart glass windows will also ensure that a business becomes immediately more environmentally compliant and is equipped to meet future changes in green building requirements and associated regulatory compliance.
Considering incorporating smart glass windows into a commercial design project?
Contact the expert team at Smartglass International today for advice, a quote or further information regarding switchable glass windows.
We have designed and manufactured smart glass windows for a range of commercial clients across the globe – see links below to just some of the many projects that we have worked on:
Wherever you are in the world one of our team will be in touch to advise on the best smart glass solution for your needs.