LET THE SUN SHINE IN OR NOT

SAGE Electrochomics, Inc., Faribault, Minn., has developed a "switchable," absorbing electrochromic window. The SageGlass Smart Window Glazing is an all solid-state, ceramic materials technology in which the electrochromic films are adhered to the glass surface through high-temperature annealing.


SageGlass allows the user to control the amount of incoming sunlight and solar heat with the push of a button. Applying a low DC voltage to the electrochromic device
in its “clear” state causes the active electrochromic layers to darken; reversing the voltage polarity causes the layers to lighten. A house full of SageGlass windows takes less energy to run than a single 75 W incandescent light bulb.

Tests indicate strong durability, with a lifetime in excess of 20 yr. This is greater than other switchable window technology; in addition, organic systems have shown degradation under UV and thermal stresses.The SageGlass pane can be fabricated into standard dual pane windows or a conventional laminated glass structure, when strength and safety are required.

This technology was co-developed with the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, Morgantown, W. Va., the U.S. Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, the National Institute of Standards and Technology Advanced Technology Program, Gaithersburg, Md., the U.S. Army, Warren, Mich., and the National Science Foundation, Arlington, Va.

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