SMARTGLASS – A New Frontier for Glazing Technology

SMARTGLASS Dynamic, powered by SageGlass, is a brand new glazing product which is set to take the sector by storm. Developed and refined by scientists in the USA, it’s now available in the UK for the first time. 

SMARTGLASS is unique in the fact that it can be tinted in stages to provide shade and reduce glare, simply with the touch of a button. This gives the user complete control over how much light and heat is able to enter the building, giving protection from UV rays, easing eyestrain and allowing for a comfortable atmosphere no matter the weather. 

Glass Tint Levels

There are three tint levels to choose from when regulating the light coming in through SMARTGLASS. They are interchangeable, and take just minutes to transition from one tint level to another. 

Firstly, the clear tint gives you the full light benefits of a normal window, which allows around 60% of the light to enter. This is much the same as standard, clear glazing, but SMARTGLASS in this state will also reduce the heat which is transmitted. This is very useful for conservatories or garden rooms, as they are notorious for becoming far too hot in the summer months, rendering these rooms unusable for some of the time. 

There are a number of intermediate tint stages to help you get the atmosphere just right for whatever you want to do. For instance, you may want to reduce glare, but still keep enough light coming in to read easily by, or you may like a darker tint to ensure there’s no glare on your TV or computer screen. 

Finally, the full tint stage is ideal for hot conservatories on a summer’s day – it blocks 96% of the sun’s rays and reduces the incoming light to just 1%. At the full tint stage, you can still see out of the windows relatively easily, giving you the best of both worlds. 

How Does SMARTGLASS Work? 

The technology used in SMARTGLASS adopts a very simple scientific principle which works fantastically for its desired function. The glass is coated with five layers of ceramic material. This is obviously invisible to the naked eye – for all intents and purposes, it looks just like normal glass. 

When a tint is chosen on the control panel, a low voltage of electricity (a 5 volt DC power supply is all that’s required) is passed through the layers of coating on the glass. As lithium ions and electrons transfer from one layer to another via the electric charge, the coating darkens. When the voltage is reversed, the lithium ions and electrons travel back through the coating to return to their original layer, which then allows the glazing to return to the clear state. 

Unlike those reactive lenses you can get for spectacles, the tint function never loses intensity or clarity and does not degrade over time. 

What is SMARTGLASS Best Used For?

As mentioned above, conservatories and garden rooms can benefit hugely from SMARTGLASS, due to its ability to cut out excessive heat transfer. As such, SMARTGLASS, powered by SageGlass, is available as a variety of lantern roofs and conservatory glass. 

It’s also very well suited to commercial premises such as office buildings, as it allows for meetings and presentations to be held in a suitable atmosphere, without the issue of glare. Being able to control the light and heat in this way reduces the need for expensive curtains or blinds and prevents having to completely block out the outside world, thus creating more comfortable office spaces. 

This article was written by Coral Pearce-Mariner at Evander