by Shane Henson — January 3, 2014—SAGE Electrochromics, a manufacturer of advanced dynamic glass that has been installed in buildings throughout the world, recently provided a sneak peak at another innovative product for the building industry, SageGlass Simplicity, at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo.
SageGlass Simplicity is a solar-powered wireless version of SageGlass, which is a leading commercial electrochromic glazing solution. SageGlass Simplicity offers architects and building owners even greater flexibility in how they incorporate dynamic glass into their building designs, the company says. Dynamic glass is electronically tintable glazing that maximizes daylight and outdoor views in buildings while controlling glare and heat gain, explains the company. It can darken or clear manually or automatically to save energy and help keep building occupants continuously comfortable throughout the day.
According to SAGE, while traditional dynamic glass is powered by a low-voltage wired connection, SageGlass Simplicity requires no electrical wiring. A thin strip of solar photovoltaics at the bottom or on the side of each pane provides sufficient power to control SageGlass tinting throughout the day. A low-profile electronic controller and battery provide a wireless communication interface and back-up power for up to two days if necessary.
SageGlass Simplicity is a flexible alternative for projects in which access to a building’s electrical wiring is impractical, such as hard-to-reach skylights or clerestory windows. It is also a great solution for retrofit projects and smaller “one-off” installations for homes or offices where a minimal number of dynamic glass windows are needed to solve a solar control problem, the company says.
Another benefit of SageGlass Simplicity is that it can be configured with light sensors to tint automatically in response to changing sun or seasonal conditions. It can also be integrated wirelessly to work in conjunction with leading building management systems from vendors such as Siemens, Lutron, Schneider and Johnson Controls.
On-demand tinting and control of SageGlass Simplicity is done with an easy-to-use iPad app, providing three levels of instant tinting. The SageGlass iPad app can also display a variety of energy monitoring and activity information, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) voltage, current battery charge and window tint percentages. SAGE says it is working on iOS and Android versions of the app to extend SageGlass control to the iPhone and other popular smartphones and tablets.
