Discussion on:

Future for self-tinting windows looks rosy

I live in a very warm climate (Florida) and most tint their windows to reduce heat in the car. But at night they are also very dark. If cost can be lowered, would be a good option.

What's the reason for the switch and the low-voltage current to tint the wondows? As mentioned in the article, why not use the same technology as eyeglasses to just auto-tint the windows in bright light? Wouldn't it be cheaper, and not use any electricity at all?

Nice technology, but why does the government have to pay for the manufacturing plant? If the technology is commercially viable then the free market will reward it with success. If not then it should never come to light (so to speak). This is corporate welfare at its worst!

Rexxrally: I want sun coming in to warm up my building during the winter. I only want to keep it out during the summer.

What I've always wondered about tinted car windows is why they only block UV. It's IR that makes a car parked in the sunlight so hot.

Ms. Mahoney,

Would you specify where DOE has "called electrochromic glass more promising than the two other types of smartglass: suspended particle displays (SPD) and liquid crystal technology." I see nothing in the news release announcing the award to Sage for its electrochromic plant that says anything of the sort. Further, I find it very difficult to believe that a government agency would make such a statement--in general or in this specific case. Each of these technologies has its strengths and weaknesses, and it is simply false to claim that EC is more promising than SPD [which by the way stands for suspended particle DEVICE, not display]. For starters, SPD has a much faster switching speed, can be applied to plastic (EC cannot be), and is not limited to small surface areas, as has been a long-time problem for EC.

I think you should provide us with a direct link to DOE that supports your statement, or remove it. Also, please point out that DOE is not exactly an unbiased party in this situation, as over the years it has invested billions in EC and as a consequence has a vested interest in showing that it hasn't wasted taxpayer's money.

All three techs have their place. Why you feel the need to push one over the other is lost on me.

With a car, sunlight enters the car and hits an object. That object reflects only its color (lambda) and retains the rest. The retained colors heat that object which then cause it to give IR. IR does not pass through glass very well so the interior just gets hotter and hotter.

Geez jerry, nice clarification. Must be a smartglass insider.

Energy saving products like window tints for example can be used in making one?s home an energy saving home. These are not only applicable for the doors and windows of homes but likewise in buildings and yes, even your own car. www.tintbuyer.com can make all of this possible. Information, guidance and quotation can be given to you directly at once and your home or building will be one of the energy saving home that everybody is talking about.

Who called me ? The information about unknown phone number to find out who owns that number and why they call. Who is calling me.

Jerry,

I couldn?t agree with you more. Furthermore the DOE did release funding in the form of a federal loan not a grant. Though I am new to learn about this technology, I would imagine that both (LC) and (SPD) would have the benefit of complete blackout and that (LC) would have the additional benefit of being able to choose blackout when V applied or no voltage (if power fails without battery backup what state would the user desire the window to be in). This would be helpful in selecting per room also (an office could be transmitted whereas an AV presentation room could be blacked out...assuming during a power outage a conference area would be backed up by a UPS before Generator kicks in). The benefit of (EC) would be that visible light could be transmitted in a static state...though blue would not be my first choice, maybe amber/yellow (around 575nm). This brings up another question, are photo-biologists being consulted on this? It?s great that we save energy, but if we are throwing the occupants of a building into a distressed state what good would it do (see what is happening to some nurses because of high correlated color temperature lamps). I think the goal would be strict GREYSCALE shading (whichever it is done by actual shading or fast switching "pixels" to limit light by area light transmits through but switching on and off in less than 1/60 of a second...in alternating patterns of course). Wow, all this and I too was just trying to do something with my car...glass-top roof for my truck (too large of an area to cover with sliding sunshade).

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