View Dynamic Glass system goes on public display (w/ Video)

(Phys.org)—Another step forward in the electrochromic glass trade is this week's announcement by the Milpitas, California,- company View that its self-tinting window solution, called View Dynamic Glass, is ready for deployment. View's team has also announced that the glass system is about to go on public display for the first time at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in San Francisco, running this week. Everyone likes to sit near a window until it gets too hot or bright, reminds View's leaders, and therein lies the appeal of a newer breed of "smart" windows that adjusts to surrounding conditions.

View says its "dynamic" glass can switch from clear to tinted as needed, allowing the glass to manage light and delivering better power efficiencies, heat control and prevention of glare.

The View Dynamic Glass has intelligence built in, where its installation comes with added low voltage wiring and control components so that transitions between clear and tinted can be had at all times. With windows wired, sensors carry occupancy, light and temperature signals. The windows can adjust to varied conditions. Manual adjustments can be made through a wall unit, web interface, or smartphone. The wall switch allows for the selection of dynamic tinting which may range from "clear" down to "dark tint" with intermediate steps in between. View says the glass is extremely durable.

View's glass system is promoted also on the appeal of less costs over time and less complexity. Unwanted heat and glare, according to View, have often resulted in design compromises. where architects and homebuilders have felt compelled to add blinds, external shading structures, and large heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

Costs are shaved when there is no need for blinds but as importantly costs are realized when energy bills are shaved. The company claims that in a typical commercial installation, annual HVAC and lighting energy consumption is reduced by 20 percent while HVAC peak load is reduced by 25 percent.

The longer-term savings may resonate with building designers and architects who are always interested in smart glass solutions for windows and skylights. View invites their interest in solving problems where "generous glazing" may provide plenty of natural light but also heat and glare. "They also commonly require expensive shading solutions and large, dedicated HVAC systems," according to View. The View Dynamic Glass can adapt the tint level accordingly. The W Hotel in San Francisco is to showcase View's glass in its lobby.

This week another company, SAGE Electrochromics of Faribault, Minnesota, made their smart windows announcement of having shown "the world's first dynamic glass window system that enables variable tint zones within a single pane of electrochromic glass." The company's Glass Control System can be programmed to work automatically with light sensors, or manually using push-button controls. Their "SageGlass" will ship next year, they said, when a new manufacturing plant starts commercial production.

View has manufacturing facilities in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

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