SAGE Electrochromics, Inc. today unveiled at Greenbuild 2013 the industry’s first electrochromic glass that is completely solar-powered, self-contained and wirelessly controlled with an iPad®.
SageGlass Simplicity™ is a new, solar-powered wireless version of SageGlass®, the leading electrochromic glazing solution in the commercial market. SageGlass Simplicity offers architects and building owners even greater flexibility in how they incorporate dynamic glass into their building designs. Dynamic glass is electronically tintable glazing that maximizes daylight and outdoor views in buildings while controlling glare and heat gain. It can darken or clear manually or automatically to save energy and help keep building occupants continuously comfortable throughout the day.
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.
"We are pleased to announce another innovation in dynamic glass with SageGlass Simplicity," said Andrew Hulse, vice president of sales at SAGE. "Electronic tinting with SageGlass is so efficient that it can be easily powered by a narrow strip of solar PV. Architects have asked us for a wire-free electrochromic solution for their hard-to-wire designs and renovations. This will enable them to incorporate new applications for dynamic glass in their designs which will further expand the market for dynamic glass."
Mesh networking and wireless controls
SageGlass Simplicity 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 at your fingertips. The SageGlass iPad app can also display a variety of energy monitoring and activity information, such as solar PV voltage, current battery charge and window tint percentages. SAGE is working on iOS and Android versions of the app to extend SageGlass control to the iPhone® and other popular smartphones and tablets.
The wireless windows also communicate with each other using low-power mesh networking technology. This capability enables curtain walls of multiple SageGlass Simplicity panes to be controlled and programmed through a single interface.
Dynamic glass control system with in-pane zoning
SageGlass LightZone™ is the world’s first dynamic glass window system that enables variable tint zones within a single pane of electrochromic glass. SageGlass LightZone allows building occupants to change the tint in three different sections in a single pane of SageGlass, and each section can be set to any available tint level. This variability provides much greater flexibility for managing solar heat gain and glare. With multiple zones in a single window, factors such as the changing angles of the sun throughout the day and seasons can be better managed to optimize daylight and preserve the outdoor view.
Demonstrations of SageGlass Simplicity and SageGlass LightZone can be seen at SAGE’s booth #1511 at Greenbuild 2013, November 20-21, 2013 in Philadelphia. SageGlass Simplicity will be available in mid-2014 in a wide range of sizes, shapes and colors from SAGE’s new high-volume manufacturing facility in Faribault, Minnesota.