Anyone out there have experience with these self tinting windows?? Saw
it on HGTV tonight on American Home 2005 Program. Would be interested
in buying if they are not too expensive.



Subject: Self-tinting windows?
Category: Family and Home Home
Asked by: nak-ga
List Price: $5.00 Posted: 30 Jun 2002 11:30 PDT
Expires: 30 Jul 2002 11:30 PDT
Question ID: 35202

I'm looking for windows that can tint themselves,
either in sunlight
or under operator control. The product I have in mind
would use
something like a liquid crystal (not an LCD, exactly,
since the whole
pane would be one 'pixel') or that film they put on
eyeglasses to make
them dark in the sun.

My question(s):
- does such a thing exist? What's the proper name for
it?
- where can I buy windows like this (or the precursors
to contruct
them myself)?
- how much do they cost (US or Canadian suppliers
preferred)?

Answer
Subject: Self-tinting windows?
Answered By: huntsman-ga on 30 Jun 2002 22:05 PDT
Rated:5 out of 5 stars

nak-ga,

I have been wanting to look into this technology
myself, and your
question has given me a good reason to do so.

There are several types of high-technology "smart
windows" (or
"switchable glass") that promise many home benefits,
including:

- Automatic dimming of bright sunlight
- Better indoor temperature control throughout the
year
- Reduced heating and cooling costs
- Reduced fading of carpets, furniture, and artwork
- Reduced dependence on artificial lighting
- Additional privacy with brighter interiors

In a fully computerized "smart home", I imagine that
smart windows
could also be controlled according to the time of day,
season, outdoor
temperature, or even the number of occupants.

Smart glass comes in several varieties which can be
loosely divided
into two categories:

- Electrochromic [EC] glass
- Non-Electrochromic [non-EC] glass

"Electro" refers of course to electricity, and
"chromic" refers to a
reversible change. With "Electrochromic" glass, its
opacity is
controlled by a low-voltage electrical current.

One example of residential EC technology is
"SageGlass", a
glass-coating process being developed by Sage
Electrochromics, Inc. in
Faribault, Minnesota. Several layers of transparent,
electrically
conductive films are sprayed onto sheets of glass
which are then baked
at high temperature. The resulting EC glass can be cut
and assembled
into standard double-insulated residential windows. To
avoid scratches
or abrasions from cleaning, the EC films are placed on
the internal
surfaces of the window.

Although they may not be considered true EC glass,
"Liquid Crystal"
[LC] and "Suspended Particle Device" [SPD] windows
also use
electricity to adjust glass opacity. A layer of liquid
crystals or
particles is suspended in clear plastic between panes
of glass, and
controlled by electrical current. SPD windows become
clear when
electrified and (partially or fully) opaque when
turned off, and may
also be known as "PDLC" (Polymer Dispersed Liquid
Crystal) windows.

SPD glass technology is being developed by Research
Frontiers, Inc. in
Woodbury, New York. The ABC News SCi Tech "Sun Too
Bright?" article
noted below features their product.

Other types of Non-EC glass technologies include
"Photochromic" glass
coatings, which react passively to the amount of
incoming ultraviolet
in sunlight. As sunlight gets brighter, these
UV-sensitive coatings
get darker, but there is no way to manually adjust
their opacity.

While photochromic coatings are widely used on
"PhotoGray" and
"Transitions" eyeglasses, they are not scratch-proof
or long-lasting
enough for use on residential windows. While they
could make your
house cooler in summer, they would also reduce the
amount of desirable
sunlight entering your house in winter.

The last general type of smart glass is
"Thermochromic", which reacts
to the amount of infrared radiation striking the
glass. Its primary
purpose is to reduce the amount of heat entering your
home.

Due to the high technologies involved, smart windows
are (or will be)
several times more expensive than standard windows.
One hopeful
estimate for SPD windows suggests they might be four
to five times
more than regular glass. Due to their complicated and
more delicate
nature, smart glass will cost more to make, ship, and
install. With
electrically-controlled windows, you (or preferably a
qualified
electrician) will also have to wire in a power source
for each one.

Another problem is the additional time, labor, and
money involved in
replacing or repairing one of these windows. The seals
could fail, the
electronics could go bad, or the glass could be
accidentally broken. A
home-run from the neighborhood baseball game loses
some of its
innocent charm when batted through a
multi-thousand-dollar window.

They may require unique installation methods and
specially-trained
installers. Acceptance of these new windows by local
Building
departments may also be a problem. It is usually
difficult to
introduce new technologies in residential construction
because no one
really knows how well they will hold up over time.

More traditional window treatments -- reflective and
tinted plastic
films, window blinds, insulated window shades,
awnings, etc. -- have
been proven over many decades of use and will probably
remain the most
practical all-around window solutions for many years.
They are more
readily available, cheaper, and easier for homeowners
to install and
maintain.

However, it is pioneers like yourself that help bring
these new home
technologies into wider use. For more detailed
information, please
browse through the links and sources listed below.

You may want to contact the manufacturers for
brochures and any dealer
information. I would also ask them if there are any
installations in
your area that you can see.

Thank you,
huntsman


References -

For a quick introduction:

Homestore.Com
Get Smart Windows
High-Tech Innovations For Windows Mean Energy Savings
http://www.homestore.com/Home_Improv...SmartGlass.asp

This ABC article features the SPD window system from
Research
Frontiers. BTW, after reading this history of "liquid
crystals", you
may never look at your LCD watch (or laptop screen) in
the same way
again!

ABC News SCi Tech
Sun Too Bright? Just Dim The Windows
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scite...dge010309.html


Easy explanations, interactive illustrations, and
related links:

Marshall Brain's How Stuff Works
Question of the Day [Photochromic eyeglasses]
http://www.howstuffworks.com/question412.htm

Marshall Brain's How Stuff Works
How Smart Windows Will Work
http://www.howstuffworks.com/smart-window.htm


The details, pros, and cons of photochromic
eyeglasses:

Eyewear Concepts
Lens Tints
Photochromic Lenses
http://www.eyewearconcepts.com/lenses_tints.htm
- Note link near top of page


Smart windows information from government offices and
labs:

California Energy Commission
Windows of the Future
http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/...ws/future.html

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Windows & Daylighting
http://windows.lbl.gov/

NASA Tech Briefs
Photoelectrochromic "Smart" Windows and Displays
http://www.nasatech.com/Briefs/Jan98/ETB01981.html

Berkeley Lab Research News
http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/...ochromics.html


Manufacturers and developers of smart glass:

"Night Vision Safety" Auto Mirrors
Gentex Corporation
600 North Centennial St.
Zeeland, MI 49464
Tel: 616-772-1800
Fax: 616-772-7348
Web: http://www.gentex.com/

"SageGlass"
SAGE Electrochromics, Inc.
2150 Airport Drive
Faribault, Minnesota 55021
Tel: 507-333-0078
Fax: 507-333-0145

Web: http://www.sage-ec.com/

SPD Windows
Research Frontiers, Inc.
240 Crossways Park Drive
Woodbury, New York 11797-2033
Tel: 1-888-773-7337, 516-364-1902
Fax: 516-364-3798
Email:
Web: http://www.refr-spd.com/index.html

ThermoView, Inc.
5611 Fern Valley Road
Louisville, KY 40228
Tel: 502-968-2020
Fax: 502-968-7798
Email:
Web: http://www.thermoviewinc.com/

For information about other smart window manufacturers
in the United
States, contact this national association:

Window & Door Manufacturers Association
1400 East Touhy Avenue, Suite 470
Des Plaines, IL 60018
Tel: 800-223-2301
Fax: 847-299-1286
Email:
Web: http://www.nwwda.org/index.html


Search Terms & Google Results -

smart windows
http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...=smart+windows

"smart windows" manufacturer
http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...ma nufacturer

photogrey windows
http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...togrey+windows

photochromic windows
http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...hromic+windows

"liquid crystal" windows
http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...l%22+w indows

-Kendell,D.W. wrote:
I'm looking for an LCD window covering product I saw on Hometime or
TOH
a few yrs ago. It was a film product which when a current was
applied
was clear otherwise it was opaque. My wife and I are minimalists
when
it comes to decorating and would prefer no window coverings if
possible.

Does anyone know anything about this product?
Is it truly clear or is it a bit foggy?
Is it a DIY project?
Does it darken a room or simply provide privacy?
What's the cost? It could be pretty expensive and still be
competitive
with other window coverings.
Anyone know any manufactuerers or retailers?

All leads appretiated,