Glass product delivers energy savings in government buildings (with related video)

SageGlass is electronically tintable glass for windows, skylights and curtain walls. It is a stylish and cost-effective way to control sunlight without shades or blinds, so facility managers can control glare and heat while maintaining a connection to the outdoors. Faribault, Minn.-based SAGE Electrochromics is the manufacturer of SageGlass.

The product has been successfully installed in government buildings, including the federal General Services Administration headquarters building in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. When the city of Cottage Grove, Minn., built its new state-of-the-art city hall, administrators wanted to use SageGlass in the council chambers so that meetings would be a comfortable experience for those attending. Architects designed the room with SageGlass because they wanted occupants to have a view to the outdoors yet needed significant glare control because the room is the site of many audio/visual presentations.

SageGlass is suited for windows, skylights and curtain walls. The glazing can be tinted or cleared to optimize daylight and maintain comfort levels for occupants in buildings. The product manages the sunlight and heat that enters a building, reducing energy consumption while improving people’s comfort and well-being. Electronically tintable glass provides designers and building owners with the ability to dynamically respond to ever-changing external conditions while offering a variety of design possibilities.

The product can help reduce energy consumption by 20 percent as part of a building’s total operating costs, says Andrew Hulse, who is vice president of sales and business development at SAGE Electrochromics. He says that a facility with SageGlass installed can see a 25 to 30 percent peak demand reduction in energy consumption. That peak demand reduction is important because it drives down a building’s energy costs associated with peak demand times, says Hulse. In addition, the product can deliver up to a 60 percent energy savings on lighting costs.

In the video, Hulse talks about some of the other benefits of SageGlass, and offers advice to government facility managers who are thinking of specifying electrochromic glass in new construction or retrofits.

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