SAGE Electrochromics, Inc. Benefits/Performance

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SageGlass glazing gives you the power to change your environment by doing what ordinary glass can’t do: It switches from clear to darkly tinted at the push of a button. Now you can enjoy the sun’s benefits while rejecting its undesirable effects such as fading, glare, and excessive heat — all without losing the view and connection to the outdoors. This grants architects the freedom to design with more daylighting without the drawbacks typically associated with glass.

One revolutionary product delivers all these benefits:
• Blocks glare
• Stops solar heat
• Dramatically reduces fading
• Always keeps a view and connection to the outdoors


BLOCKS GLARE - creating more comfortable environments.

SageGlass windows and skylights can be tinted to allow in only 3.5% visible light. By comparison, commercial buildings typically have windows that transmit around 45% visible light, with some of the darkest getting down to about 6-8%. In their tinted state, SageGlass windows are darker than sunglasses, which, depending on the brand, usually transmit from 10% to 30% of the light. What this translates to is comfort. You can see your computer display or TV screen without closing the blinds and losing your connection to the outdoors. If you have a great view, but you have to have your blinds closed most of the time, it almost negates the reason for having the window there in the first place. In human factors evaluations carried out by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif., people greatly preferred to be in the room with SageGlass windows versus the room with regular static glass and blinds because of the level of comfort it brought to the space.

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STOPS SOLAR HEAT - dramatically reducing cooling energy.

Glazing Comparison Chart

Glazing comparison chart

The red points represent some of today's popular static solar control glazing products. Each has a fixed solar heat gain coefficient and level of visible light transmission (each is optimal for one set of environmental conditions). The arrow across the chart indicates the dynamic range of the SageGlass window product, which can be darkened to a highly tinted state (3.5%) or untinted to a highly transmissive state (62%).


SageGlass Classic has an unparalleled SHGC value of 0.09 in its tinted state, which is about three times better than that offered by most commercial glazings. In this state, the glass transmits 3.5% visible light. The breakthrough benefit is that when the glass doesn’t need to be that dark—for instance, when it’s cloudy outside and you want light or it’s winter and you want heat from the sun—you can untint the glass and bring the visible light transmission up to 62% and the SHGC up to 0.48. It’s like having two types of glass in one window opening.

Reducing solar heat gain directly impacts energy and other expenses associated with operating a building. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that electronically tintable window systems are capable of providing up to :
• 40% savings on energy bills
• 20% savings on operating costs
• 24% reduction in peak demand
• 25% decrease in the size of HVAC systems

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GREATLY REDUCES INTERIOR FADING – protecting furniture, artwork and carpet


Solar Spectrum Chart

SageGlass IGU solar transmittance chart


When it comes to fading and damage, UV rays are the primary culprit. However, there is also a part of the visible spectrum that causes fading, up to about 700 nanometers (see chart above). Oftentimes, when glass manufacturers say their product reduces the radiation that causes fading, they mean the UV portion only. SageGlass products block not only nearly 100% of the UV radiation, but also the portion of visible light that causes fading because the glass gets so dark. On a weighted average—which is quantified in two ways: the Krochmann Damage Function and the TDW-ISO—SageGlass products in their tinted state block 98% and 97%, respectively, of the total radiation that causes fading.

The chart below lists the weighted averages of various glazing products, and also includes the unweighted UV number—in other words, the percentage of UV that is blocked without including the visible portion of the spectrum that also causes damage.
Amount of Radiation Blocked using Three Different Methods of Measuring*

Glass Type (1" IGU;6mm glass, 1/2" airspace)

Tdw-K

Tdw-ISO

UV (unweighted)

Clear glass

45%

30%

50%

Low-e2 on clear glass

70%

49%

90.0%

Low-e2 on clear w/laminated inboard lite

77%

53%

99.4%

SageGlass Classic (clear state)

82%

62%

94.4%

SageGlass Classic (tinted state)

97.8%

96.6%

99.2%

SageGlass Classic w/laminated inboard lite (clear state)

85%

64%

99.6%

SageGlass Classic w/laminated inboard lite (tinted state)

98.3%

96.9%

99.9%


*To arrive at the amount of radiation blocked, we have calculated 1 minus Tdw-K, 1 minus Tdw-ISO, and 1 minus TUV



ALWAYS KEEPS THE VIEW AND CONNECTION TO THE OUTDOORS – contributing to people’s comfort and well-being.

Many studies point to the importance of natural daylight and outdoor views to people’s happiness and well-being. Because with SageGlass windows and skylights you can eliminate most of the negative aspects of sunlight, buildings can be designed with vision area in spaces and elevations where it was not possible to do so before. SageGlass products give those who design buildings, whether commercial or residential, a new tool for creating spaces that take more full advantage of available daylight. And this is important because research shows that providing people with daylight and a connection to the outdoors can increase retail sales, improve children’s scholastic achievement, reduce absenteeism and boost productivity in the workplace.