PPG Industries and Pleotint, LLC, have agreed to jointly market a commercial window glass system that combines Sunlight Responsive Thermochromic, or SRT, interlayer technology by Pleotint, with Solarban low-emissivity (low-e) glass and other glasses by PPG to control solar heat gain and reduce energy costs in buildings.
Pleotint’s patented technology is a lightly tinted thermochromic interlayer that warms up and darkens in direct sunlight, but clears in indirect sunlight to allow light to pass into a building. Laminated between two lites of glass, SRT interlayer may be used monolithically or within an insulating glass unit. Visible light transmittance for windows with SRT interlayer adjusts through the day without the need for wiring, power supplies or controls.
When the SRT interlayer is combined in a window system with Solarban glass, a proven solar control, low-e glass that also blocks solar heat and transmits visible light, these adaptive windows can dramatically reduce the amount of energy required to cool buildings. Because the windows clear up in indirect sunlight, they also decrease the need for artificial lighting.
A study showed that, due to its ability to dynamically adjust to natural lighting conditions, a window system including an SRT interlayer can reduce energy costs in commercial buildings by 17 to 30% over industry-standard window systems. A window with SRT technology also reduces the transmittance of ultraviolet light and short-wavelength visible light, which are major contributors to fading in carpets, fabrics, artwork, photos and other materials.
Unlike competing dynamic windows that require manual, electrical or mechanical controls, windows with the SRT interlayer use the sun’s own energy – up to 1,000 watts of power per square meter – to adjust the window tint and transmittance level. Because the process is entirely self-sustaining, the SRT interlayer system not only uses less energy, it also eliminates the opportunities for failure due to faulty wiring, poor connections or broken electrical circuits. Windows with SRT interlayers also have passed exposure and durability testing developed for electrochromic windows and conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Insulating units with SRT interlayers and Solarban low-e glass are available in sizes up to 5 feet wide and have been laminated in lengths of up to 11 feet. Architects may specify any Oceans of Color tinted glass or Earth and Sky high-performance tinted glass by PPG as a base-state window color. BD+C
Related Stories
| Dec 19, 2011
Survey: Job growth driving demand for office and industrial real estate in Southern California
Annual USC Lusk Center for Real Estate forecast reveals signs of slow market recovery.
| Dec 16, 2011
Goody Clancy-designed Informatics Building dedicated at Northern Kentucky University
The sustainable building solution, built for approximately $255-sf, features innovative materials and intelligent building systems that align with the mission of integration and collaboration.
| Dec 16, 2011
Stalco Construction converts Babylon, N.Y. Town Hall into history museum
The project converted the landmark structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places into the Town of Babylon History Museum at Old Town Hall.
| Dec 14, 2011
Belfer Research Building tops out in New York
Hundreds of construction trades people celebrate reaching the top of concrete structure for facility that will accelerate treatments and cures at world-renowned institution.
| Dec 14, 2011
Tyler Junior College and Sika Sarnafil team up to save energy
Tyler Junior College wanted a roofing system that wouldn’t need any attention for a long time.
| Dec 13, 2011
Lutron’s Commercial Experience Center awarded LEED Gold
LEED certification of the Lutron facility was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community. These features include: optimization of energy performance through the use of lighting power, lighting controls and HVAC, plus the use of daylight.
| Dec 12, 2011
AIA Chicago announces Skidmore, Owings & Merrill as 2011 Firm of the Year
SOM has been a leader in the research and development of specialized technologies, new processes and innovative ideas, many of which have had a palpable and lasting impact on the design profession and the physical environment.
| Dec 12, 2011
Skanska to expand and renovate hospital in Georgia for $103 Million
The expansion includes a four-story, 17,500 square meters clinical services building and a five-story, 15,700 square meters, medical office building. Skanska will also renovate the main hospital.
