This goes out to our wise clients who have purchased a house and are now upgrading or renovating their new purchases. No doubt, upgrading windows to hurricane impact glass is a no-brainer; but with new interior designs styles that include shades and window treatment, Smart Windows can eliminate those costs while filtering out bright light and saving you additional dollars on increased electricity bills for air conditioning.
Smart windows are made with a special high-tech glass that can quickly change from clear to tinted or that can selectively block heat, light or glare. Smart glass is also sometimes called dynamic glass or switchable glass.
Eventually, glass will get really smart, functioning as a computer screen with the touch of a button. But that won’t happen for 10 years or so. For now, the next big thing is smart glass that replaces shades, blinds and curtains. Residential smart glass is expected to cost about twice as much as conventional glass, but it can cut heating and cooling costs, so you can theoretically recoup the added expense.
Research on smart glass makes the promise of new technologies clear. It’s complicated stuff, but the bottom line is smart glass can one day be less expensive — possibly as low as $100 per square foot — because the glass can be made at relatively low temperatures.
The Benefits of Smart Glass
Smart glass blocks heat and light independently of each other — for example, it can block the heat but let the sunshine in.
Turn a dial to apply a small amount of electricity to the glass, and it will absorb infrared light, greatly reducing the heat from the sunlight coming through the glass. Turn another dial, and the glass will go dark. Both heat and light can be adjusted to your preference, each turned all the way up or down.
Researchers have formed a California startup, called Heliotrope, to further develop and market the technology.
The future of home windows looks very bright. You can read the entire article here