Argonne National Laboratory Uses SageGlass in New State-of-The-Art Research Facility
A new state-of-the-art research facility at Argonne National Laboratory is using dynamic glass from SAGE to save energy and improve the way people experience daylight in the building.
The project is one of the first commercial buildings to incorporate electrochromic glass from SAGE’s new high-volume manufacturing facility. Located next to its global headquarters in Minnesota, SAGE’s new facility is the world’s largest and most advanced dynamic glass manufacturing plant. The facility is able to produce dynamic glass in high volumes and in larger commercial, architectural sizes at an affordable cost.
The Advanced Protein Characterization Facility (APCF) at Argonne will provide researchers with the most advanced technology for protein science experiments in the nation. National architectural and engineering firm SmithGroupJJR designed the APCF to attain LEED® Gold certification and provide an ideal environment for scientific collaboration while also being highly energy efficient. To achieve that goal, architects designed a south-facing curtain wall with more than 2,000 square feet of SageGlass®, which will harvest maximum daylight while reducing glare and heat gain.
According to a National Renewable Energy Laboratory study[1], maximizing daylight in buildings not only saves energy through reduced lighting and heating load requirements, but improves the physiological and psychological well-being of occupants. SageGlass also provides an unobstructed view to the forest preserve that surrounds the campus, while enabling natural light to penetrate deeper into indoor work spaces typically deficient in natural light. Together, these environmental enhancements will improve the well-being of Argonne scientists and enable them to be more productive.
The 60,000-square-foot facility is being constructed by Maryland-based Clark Construction Group. The APCF will house up to 76 researchers as well as support staff and visitors.
“The APCF at Argonne National Laboratory will incorporate many advanced technologies in this world-class facility,” said Jeffrey Sims, program manager at Argonne. “We are excited to include rapidly emerging design elements such as electronically tintable glass. This feature will improve daylighting in the building and enhance productivity and the work experience for our scientists and staff.”
About Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America’s scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
About SmithGroupJJR
SmithGroupJJR (www.smithgroupjjr.com) is one of the largest architecture, engineering and planning firms in the U.S., ranked a Top 10 design firm by Architect, the magazine of the American Institute of Architects. Its staff numbers 800 employees in 10 offices across the U.S. A national leader in sustainable design, SmithGroupJJR has 343 LEED professionals and 89 LEED certified projects.
- Edwards, L. & Torcellini, P. (July 2002). A Literature Review of the Effects of Natural Light on Building Occupants. National Renewable Energy Laboratory Technical Report.
About SageGlass
SageGlass®, a product of Saint-Gobain, is advanced dynamic glass that can be electronically tinted or cleared to optimize daylight and improve the human experience in buildings. SageGlass manages the sunlight and heat that enter a building, significantly reducing energy consumption while improving people’s comfort and well-being. It can reduce a building’s cooling load by 20% and HVAC requirements up to 30%. It is a smarter, more elegant solution than conventional sun controls such as mechanical window shades, blinds and louvers. With SageGlass you can control sunlight and glare without shades or blinds while maintaining the view and connection to the outdoors. SageGlass is manufactured in Faribault, Minn., in the heart of “the Silicon Valley of the window industry,” and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saint-Gobain of Paris, the world’s largest building materials company.
For more information visit:
Website: www.sageglass.com
Twitter: twitter.com/Sage_Glass
Facebook: Facebook.com/SageGlass
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/sageglass
YouTube: Youtube.com/SAGEElectrochromics
About Saint-Gobain in North America
Saint-Gobain has its North American headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. As the world leader in sustainable habitat, Saint-Gobain is committed to inventing solutions to help professionals and communities around the world build and renovate comfortable, healthy, economical and energy-efficient buildings. The company has more than 250 locations in North America and approximately 15,000 employees. In the United States and Canada, Saint-Gobain reported sales of approximately $6.2 billion in 2014.
Recognized as a 2009 and 2010 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Saint-Gobain earned the 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award, the highest level of recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. For more information about Saint-Gobain in North America, visit www.saint-gobain-northamerica.com and connect with the company on Facebook and Twitter.
About Saint-Gobain
In 2015, Saint-Gobain is celebrating its 350th anniversary, 350 reasons to believe in the future. Backed by its experience and its capacity to continuously innovate, Saint-Gobain, the world leader in the habitat and construction market, designs, manufactures and distributes high-performance and building materials providing innovative solutions to the challenges of growth, energy efficiency and environmental protection. With 2014 sales of $54.6 billion, Saint-Gobain operates in 64 countries and has over 180,000 employees. For more information about Saint-Gobain, visit https://www.saint-gobain.com/en and the twitter account @saintgobain