2 minute read
GLASS
NOW YOU SEE ME…
Glass that goes from clear to opaque in one touch? It’s no longer science fi ction, writes JAMES FRANCIS
It is like a scene from a science ction movie. Push a button, and the clear glass of a window turns opaque. But smart glass is very real and can be distinguished as passive and active. Passive smart glass changes of its own accord, usually to counteract light or temperature, while active smart glass changes when someone applies an electric current to it, producing the satisfying obscuring effect mentioned earlier. Yet smart glass is more appealing for its environmental controls than button-push privacy.
“Ordinary glass can be responsible for up to 40 per cent of the energy lost through doors and windows in a building,” says Clive Engelbrecht, technical manager for glazing at the PG Group. “High-performance glass products offer an elegant way to achieve better energy ef ciency by reducing the cost of heating and cooling.”
IS IT AFFORDABLE?
Smart glass varies in manufacturing and materials used. Prices vary as well, but it is often an expensive investment due to the technical complexity of making such panels, which also cover different traditional formats such as double glazing (two separated layers to manage heat and sound).
Active smart glass is the priciest, followed by passive smart glass and smart lm, a more affordable laminate product that layers over a regular window. Smart glass prices have been dropping as the technologies mature, yet in South Africa, these products can still be pricey due to import logistics.
“Over the last decade pricing has decreased with this solution,” says Adriaan Vlok, owner of smart lm provider Presentation Solutions. “But importantly, due to the weakness in the rand-dollar exchange rate and the logistical cost of shipping rather large units to South Africa, we have only seen a marginal cost reduction in this technology.”
Yet as companies look to lure back employees or use their real estate more creatively, smart glass can offer signi cant enhancements such as allowing 70 per cent of light without heat or UV radiation.
Active or passive, glass or lm, this technology is no longer a Hollywood dream. It’s even got a coronavirus angle, says Vlok: “In current times, you can take the hygienic factor into consideration. It’s a great t for corporations and any public areas with no cloth or dust-attracting material.”
