What is Smart Glass and What Can You Do with It?

We have smartphones and smartwatches with us all day, and we’ve gotten used to personal devices that do so much more than just make phone calls and tell the time. It only makes sense to have smart components in our homes that are capable of doing more and going beyond traditional roles. That can include your windows.  

Where traditional windows merely provide a basic see-through view, windows made with smart glass can do much more to keep you comfortable and your home protected. Smart glass can be used in applications beyond windows as well. So, as you’re planning your next home renovation project, it’s helpful to understand what smart glass is and what it can do so you can decide whether you want to incorporate it into your plans.

Understanding Smart Glass

Sometimes referred to as “switchable glass” or “dynamic glass,” smart glass is a glass that can change its visual properties, adjusting on demand to become tinted or opaque (like frosted glass) when desired. This can prevent sunlight from entering a space or make a space private.

There are now numerous technologies used to make the optical properties of windows changeable on demand. So if reports of early problems with smart glass caused you concern, now may be the time to take another look. When you work with a luxury home remodeling contractor who is used to integrating smart technology into renovation and addition projects, your contractor can provide some practical advice regarding the types of technology that may work best for your particular application.

Active vs. Passive Smart Glass

Smart glass works in both active and passive modes. Active smart glass uses electricity to control the change in the amount of light passing through, while passive smart glass is controlled by other factors such as heat or light, so passive smart glass windows cannot be controlled manually. The technologies are ever-evolving, but here’s an overview of some of the ways smart glass windows can operate.

Passive Smart Glass

Most passive smart glass windows use either thermochromic or photochromic technology. Thermochromic windows darken in response to heat from the sun and lighten when heat reduces. They often tend to stay dark during the warmest months of the year and lighten up in the winter.

Photochromic windows darken in response to light rather than heat. Both types of passive switchable glass tend to adjust slowly to changes in light or heat and cannot be adjusted on demand, so these types of smart glass are not used as frequently for windows as active smart glass technologies that allow for more control.

Electrochromic Glass

One of the most popular technologies for active smart glass uses electrochromic technology. The glass remains clear until electric pulses are run through it, when it starts to become opaque. The opacity increases as more voltage is sent through the glass, so the level of transparency can be controlled precisely. 

While the windows produced with this technology during the early days tended to look yellowish when clear and bluish when opaque, improvements have made the glass clear in the natural state and more of a gray tone when tinted. Even when windows are darkened, it is still possible to see outside unless transition-metal hydride electrochromic technology is used. Then, the windows switch from clear to reflective, like a mirror.

Micro-Blinds

Windows with micro-blinds use layers of tiny thin metal strips to create blinds that are controlled by a layer of transparent conducting oxide in the glass substrate. The blinds remain rolled up to let light through when there is no electric current, but when electricity is turned on, the blinds unroll to block the light. This technology allows for a change to occur very quickly, and the blinds are nearly invisible.  

Glass Using Suspended-Particle Devices

When glass uses suspended-particle devices (SPDs) to change opacity, these tiny particles are suspended in liquid attached to the glass or suspended between layers of glass. In their passive state, these particles lay in random formation, passively blocking and absorbing some light. When electricity is applied, this causes the particles to align and allow light to pass through. Changing the voltage changes the amount of light, glare, and heat allowed through.

Polymer-Dispersed Liquid-Crystal Windows

Unlike other technologies that leave windows in a clear or semi-clear state when at rest, windows using polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal (PDLC) technology have a milky white tone when no electricity is applied. As increasing voltage is applied, liquid crystals in the glass align to allow light to pass through with increasingly less scatter.

Benefits of Smart Glass in Your Home or Business

Using smart glass windows can not only increase comfort and privacy but also protect interiors from UV damage. High-end home remodeling projects often incorporate smart glass into luxury bathrooms and bedrooms for privacy, but the ability to control light and heat provides advantages in kitchens and all throughout a home or business.

Potential advantages of smart glass include:

• Privacy on demand
• Thermal and visual comfort are maintained seamlessly throughout the day
• Clear sightlines without the interference of blinds or other window coverings
• Nothing to trap dust
• Reduction in HVAC usage
• Sound dampening qualities
• Use as a projection screen when needed

Technology can be used to change settings automatically throughout the day or on demand as needed or desired. Smart glass allows you to control the environment inside your home or business without sacrificing the connection to the outside world. For instance, you can project a movie onto a picture window and turn your living room into a temporary theater, which then turns back into an open and airy space when you want light and a connection to the outdoors. Smart glass can make spaces in your home or business adaptable for multiple uses.

Talk to Marcela Montoya Remodeling About How Smart Glass Could Be Incorporated into Your Home Renovation or Addition

As luxury home contractors who have been designing and building projects in South Florida for decades, we know how the light and heat from the sun can be both a blessing and a curse. Using smart glass in conjunction with other design strategies can enable you to enjoy the advantages of glass while avoiding the problems it can cause. If you’re planning a remodeling project or addition to your home, we invite you to schedule a free design consultation with our founder, Marcela Montoya, to discuss the possibilities for creating a space with the ultimate luxury in comfort and style. Just call us at 954-900-9992 or contact us online to get started.