Most of you have probably heard about or seen smart glass before. Even if the term “smart glass” isn’t ringing any bells, I’m pretty positive most of you have interacted with it in your life or have at least seen it. A smart glass window also called a switchable glass window, is glass that turns from transparent to translucent when it has electricity applied to it. It is often controlled by a switch or button that, when pressed, changes the transparency of the glass.
Smart glass is able to be controlled thanks to the technology that is integrated into it. Most smart glass takes advantage of the electrochromic, photochromic, thermochromic, suspended particle, micro-blind, and liquid crystal devices to change transparency. These technologies and devices are integrated into the glass or added onto the glass. When someone uses the switch or button on smart glass / switchable glass they are simply applying electricity to the technology within the glass, which then changes the amount of light that the glass lets through.
Smart glass window application
Smart glass / switchable glass is commonly used in large offices, big businesses, and high-class homes. With that being said, smart glass is becoming less expensive and the market surrounding it is continuously growing. Smart glass is no longer limited to specific uses and it’s not extremely expensive anymore. There’s now affordable smart glass for cars, homes, showers, offices, and ALL KINDS of other things.
Today, I’m going to go over some of the benefits of using smart glass in the household. In this case, I’m going to be talking about the benefits of smart switchable glass windows. It should be noted beforehand that there are primarily two options when it comes to switchable glass windows. There are complete, smart switchable glass windows that look like normal windows. And, then there’s also a self-adhesive switchable glass, which is basically a giant sticker that you can add onto a window to turn into a smart glass window. So, it’s not like you have to remove every window in your home to get some of these benefits.
Anyway, here are some of the benefits of having switchable glass windows in your household.
Easy Cleaning
Regular windows require a decent amount of maintenance, and not even maintenance related to the actual window itself. With ordinary windows, if you want some privacy then you have to cover them with all sorts of different materials. These materials include plastic, wood, and cloth. I’m talking about ordinary blinds, shades, and curtains. These blinds, shades, and curtains need to be cleaned and washed on a regular basis or else your window is going to be looking dirty on all kinds of different levels. The thing is, a lot of us don’t have the time to be cleaning shades and curtains on a regular basis. Basically, ordinary windows require cleaning maintenance that a lot of people don’t have time to do.
With smart glass windows, there is a lot less maintenance when it comes to keeping them clean. You just have to wipe down the window occasionally to make sure that the window isn’t getting all dusty and that’s pretty much it. Since you can control the level of privacy you want via the actual window controls, you don’t need curtains and all that other stuff. So, there’s definitely a lot less cleaning and maintenance involved with smart glass windows.
Saves Money and Keeps the House Cool
While windows can provide an amazing view of the outside world, they are terrible for raising the temperature of a household. If you’re not blocking out all the light coming through your windows while the air is running, then you’re pretty much working against yourself. Light, especially from the sun, packs all kinds of heat.
The awesome thing about switchable glass windows is that you don’t even have to cover them to block out light and to prevent heat from coming into your home. Smart glass windows are able to prevent light from coming into a home with just a flick of a switch. The less light that is getting inside your home, the lower the temperature is going to be inside of your home. This means you’ll be running your air conditioner less and will be saving all kinds of money.
Blocks UV Rays and Protect Furniture
Most windows, especially the ones in older houses, barely block any UV rays. Getting hit with some UV rays in moderation isn’t really that bad, but over time UV rays can do some pretty nasty damage. I’m not even talking about nasty damage to your health, but nasty damage to your furniture. UV rays can fade and damage furniture pretty easily. If your windows are open on a regular basis and your furniture is getting hit with sunlight constantly, you’ll notice that your furniture’s color is changing and not for the better. Smart glass windows can prevent this from happening.
Another one of the awesome benefits of smart glass is that it blocks out almost all UV rays. Smart glass can block out UV rays without even needing to be in a certain state. It doesn’t need to be activated or anything like that.
By adding self-adhesive smart glass to your windows or by buying switchable glass windows, you can prevent furniture from fading due to you leaving your windows open because it blocks out all UV rays. Pretty awesome.
Doubles As A Projection Screen
Not everyone is going to want or need to take advantage of this benefit, but it’s still a benefit. One of the cool things about smart glass is that when it is in its privacy state it can be used as a projection screen.
A lot of people are looking to have a home theater these days, but are limited by space. In most homes, a lot of the walls that would work as good screening areas have windows in them. Well, self-adhesive smart glass can help turn those normal walls and windows into handy dandy projection areas.
Conclusion
So, those are some of the benefits of having a smart glass window in your home. They are easy to maintain, easy to keep clean. They can help you save money on the air. And they can prevent your furniture’s color from fading and smart glass can double as a projection screen. There are definitely more benefits when it comes to having smart glass windows, but the ones mentioned above are ones that everyone can enjoy.
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