electrochromic

Windows that shade automatically have been part of high-tech home demos for years, but there are signs that smart glass is leaving research labs and heading into more actual buildings.

Building-materials maker Saint Gobain earlier this week acquired Sage Electrochromics, and another smart glass startup, Soladigm, signed a distribution deal with Guardian Industries, one of the largest glass manufacturers.

Materials scientists have toiled for years developing glass that can automatically tint based on the amount of light coming in, but technical challenges have meant that the technology is hardly used.

The investment by large companies in tintable window glass signals … Read more

Rather than rely on blinds, Soladigm has a glass product that uses sensors to tell windows how to adjust light.

The Silicon Valley-based start-up said Tuesday that it raised $30 million in private equity to move forward on its plan to manufacture auto-tinting windows for energy-efficient commercial buildings. The series-C round of funding was led by DBL Investors and Nano Dimension and includes money from General Electric and existing investors Khosla Ventures and Sigma Partners.

Earlier this year, Soladigm secured $44 million in loans and grants from the state of Mississippi to construct a factory to make its "smart … Read more

Building materials heavyweight Saint Gobain yesterday bought a stake in glass specialist Sage Electrochromics and plans to build a large factory to make automatically tinting glass.

France-based Saint Gobain paid $80 million for a 50 percent stake in Faribault, Minn.-based Sage Electrochromics, which makes energy-saving windows and skylights. The deal represents a significant boost for the green building technology.

With electrochromic glass, also called "smart glass," a low-voltage current causes windows to tint based on incoming light. Automatically adjusting the amount of sunlight that comes into buildings can significantly save on energy costs with a reduced lighting … Read more

Electronic paper is stacking up to be a high-growth market, according to a new report.

Sales of e-paper displays are projected to soar from $431 million this year to $9.6 billion in 2018, market researcher DisplaySearch said Wednesday.

The number of units sold is forecast to grow 22 million this year to 1.8 billion in 2018.

E-books are currently the main use and sales driver for e-paper. Most e-book readers, such as the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader, use the electrophoretic display technology from E Ink. A few e-readers, such as Fujitsu's Flepia, use a different technology … Read more

Sage Electrochromics, which makes energy-saving glass, has received $20 million in funding from Good Energies, Bekaert, and Applied Ventures, the venture capital arm of Applied Materials.

The three also financed Sage in 2007. The company, based near Minneapolis, Minn., will use the new round of funding to expand into international markets, CEO John Van Dine said in a statement Tuesday.

For those unfamiliar with electrochromic glass, the dual-pane glass works literally with the flip of a switch.

When an electrical current is applied to the internal glass pane of the window, which is coated in microscopic layers of ceramic material, … Read more