News, technology, markets, events and opportunities for smart glass in the construction, healthcare, transport, arts and retail sectors.
Smart Glass World is the first industry-wide portal dedicated exclusively to the smart glass sector.
We aim to educate consumers and customers in the technologies, markets and opportunities underpinning the key innovations in smart and functional materials.
Our content centres around electro-optic, electrochromic, thermochromic, photochromic and transparent photovoltaic glass and other functional materials.
George Rubin of Cerebral Strategy gives his opinion on the market trends and the future of the smart glass sector, based on 20 years experience at the cutting edge of smart glass and photovoltaics.
Smart glass facilitates disinfection in healthcare environments, thus replacing curtains, drapes and window blinds which can harbour pathogens. We ask the question: why is glass easy to clean in the first place?
Smart glass can help architects to cut carbon emissions by reducing heating and cooling costs in buildings, thus complying with the proposed new European Climate Law, which intends to convert Europe into the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.
Thermochromic smart glass reduces solar heat gain into buildings, reducing air conditioning costs and contributing to ‘net-zero’ construction.
Photochromic glass promotes sustainable architecture and compliance with green building standards such as LEED and BREEAM, by allowing interiors to meet the minimum daylighting requirements of 300 lux across 50% of building space, without the accompanying increase in HVAC costs.
We are joined by Ronen Lin, Executive Director of Smart Films International based in Israel, who talks to us about the PDLC smart glass industry.
Translucent concrete is an architectural and design tool which transmits and scatters daylight throughout a building, offering energy efficiency, sustainability and privacy, as well as serving as a structural and insulative element.
With no applied voltage, the liquid crystals in PDLC smart glass orient randomly and scatter light. When an electrical signal is applied, the liquid crystals orient themselves parallel to each other, allowing light through and illuminating parts of the building which would otherwise remain in darkness.