Category: Energy

1) Problem: Buildings in the US account for around 40% of energy use and more than 70% of electricity use, around half of which is from commercial buildings. According to View’s website,  China’s buildings account for more than 30% of the country’s energy use and the country is set to produce 50% of the world’s new buildings through 2020, which will greatly increase global energy consumption, especially when coupled with other areas of the world that are rapidly developing.

2) Summary 

View, Inc website.

• Regular glass but has 5 thin layers of metal oxide deposited on it that are only 1 micron thick (1/50th of a human hair), and when a tiny electric charge is applied to these layers it causes the glass to tint electronically, which reduces unwanted heat and glare and can save over 20% on building energy use.
• The glass can automatically adjust using view intelligence, which means that individual windows, zones or whole facades can respond intuitively to outside conditions based on variables like latitude and longitude, astronomical data, building orientation, time of day, cloud cover, window placement, building heat load, and desk location. The glass then uses this data to calculate the relative position of the sun at any given moment.
• A light sensor on the building also gathers current information about the weather, while the system gathers real time web feeds from multiple weather services so it can always predict future weather.
• The windows can be integrated into building management systems, which means the glass communicates with interior lighting and heating and cooling so everything adjusts in unison to maximize comfort and save energy.
• The glass reduces demand on HVAC systems, especially during peak loads, and can be controlled from a smart phone app.

3) Stakeholders 

• View, Inc. and investors
• Home and commercial building owners and tenants around the world
• Local governments seeking to lessen building energy usage, GHG emissions

4) Deployment 

• Encourage use of View Glass in new buildings through tax credits and other incentives
• Collect data on buildings with largest energy usage and target most wasteful buildings
• Analyze glass effectiveness in reducing buildings’ energy use
• Expand use of glass, especially in new buildings and in developing countries