FAQs

Smart windows have been installed on commercial buildings across a wide variety of industries.  Smart windows can be used in airports, offices, hotels and other hospitality venues, hospitals, schools and university buildings, cultural institutions and much more.  Dynamic glass is also ideal for skylight applications. Visit our case studies to learn more.

Smart windows maximize daylight, proivde unobstructed views, and increase energy efficiency, lowering a building's overall operational carbon footprint.  Dynamic glass outperforms conventional solutions at providing optimal solar and glare control because conventional solutions are static and cannot adapt to changes in sunlight levels.  Dynamic glass is the ideal facade solution for designing spaces that both maximize the occupant experience and wellness, as well as prioritize sustainability.

We use a vacuum deposition process called "sputtering" to coat conventional float glass with layers of metal oxides. This is the same process used to make low-e and double low-e glass. The coated SageGlass pane is then paired with one or two more pieces of glass (clear, tinted, or laminated) and one or two spacers to make a double-pane or triple-pane insulating glass unit (IGU).



Take a Virtual Tour of our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Faribault, Minnesota. Our virtual tour allows you to see inside our world-class manufacturing facility, meet some of our SageGlass team members, and learn about our latest innovations.

The answer depends on the SageGlass product: Classic or Harmony.

• SageGlass Classic has four tint states: clear (untinted), light, medium, and dark.
• SageGlass Harmony has these four states plus four additional gradient tint states. 

SageGlass operates with an automated control system with options for manual control and for building automation system integration.  We typically provide wall touch panels, which allow occupants to override the automated tinting to suit individual preferences. During the design process, we work with each customer to determine how many panels they need, and where they're located. The same is true for the SageGlass mobile app. Our system integrates with every major BMS on the market, using industry-standard BACnet protocols. It is important to note that, while we support BMS integration, SageGlass is not a BMS integrator. Instead, we work with a customer's integrator, providing the necessary data and support.

An average-sized pane of SageGlass transitions across 90% of its dynamic range (from clear to tinted or from tinted to clear) in a few minutes. The transition speed depends on a number of factors, including the ambient temperature and glass size: The warmer it is outside, the faster the glass transitions. Larger panes take longer than smaller panes to fully transition. Also, keep in mind that in day-to-day use the glass often changes in smaller increments (e.g., from one intermediate state to the next lighter or darker state) rather than from fully clear to fully tinted, so the transition takes less time.

When power is lost, SageGlass reverts to a clear (untinted) state over a period of an hour or two.

The performance of SageGlass can range from 60% visible light transmission in its clear state, down to 1% in its tinted state, with a solar heat gain coefficient that varies from 0.41 on the high end to 0.09 on the low end. Learn how the dynamic range affects both light transmission and solar heat gain. These are the values for a typical double-glazed unit, but changes to IGU makeup, such as triple glazing, impact these values.

One unique element of SageGlass is that all of our IGUs are laminated. We apply the EC coating on a 2.2 mm annealed lite which is laminated with a PVB interlayer to whichever outboard lite is needed for the project requirements. Thus, the EC coating is on surface #4. This is important for a couple of reasons. First, on surface #2, we apply different coatings for aesthetic benefits. Second, it allows flexibility in outboard lite selection. Others in the EC industry apply the coating directly on the outboard lite. This precludes the use of aesthetic coating options, colored outboard lites and glass thickness to meet certain structural/wind load requirements. Our approach provides maximum flexibility.

Learn more. Visit our How Electrochromic Glass Works page.

We bring the full expertise of Saint-Gobain, in both coated glass and IGU fabrication, to the SageGlass process. SageGlass technology has undergone rigorous performance and durability testing by independent third parties, including the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and leaders in the glass fabricating and OEM skylight industry. SageGlass IGUs were the first products to pass the requirements for compliance to ASTM E-2141 (Standard Test Methods for Assessing the Durability of Absorptive Electrochromic Coatings on Sealed Insulating Glass Units). This test suggests that the performance of the product is barely impacted even under aggressive ageing tests, proving the longevity of the product.

With the dynamic nature of smart windows, the facade can truly respond to the outdoors to be able to optimize to your building's energy goals. Because the glass has a very low SHGC value in its tinted state, it can prevent excess heat gain and reduce energy consumption from HVAC.  Dynamic glass also allows the facade to harness passive heat in climates with significant heat loads.

There are no significant limitations for installing a SageGlass IGU. While some care must be paid to the pigtail and frame cable, a SageGlass IGU is typically installed like any other in most common framing solutions. The SageGlass Field Operations team provides technical support to glaziers as needed.