What is Smart Glass and How Does It Work?
Smart glass is being integrated into everything from office partitions and hospital rooms to residential windows and skylights. Its ability to reduce glare, regulate interior temperatures, and provide on-demand privacy makes it a key player in sustainable design and modern architecture.
Smart glass, also known as switchable glass or electrochromic glass, is a revolutionary material that changes its light transmission properties when voltage, light, or heat is applied. Unlike traditional glass, smart glass can switch from transparent to opaque, offering privacy, light control, and energy savings at the touch of a button.
There are several types of smart glass technologies, including:
- Electrochromic Glass: Changes transparency with an electric voltage.
- SPD (Suspended Particle Devices): Contains microscopic particles that align or scatter based on electricity.
- PDLC (Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal): Uses liquid crystal droplets that become transparent or opaque depending on electric current.
- Thermochromic Glass: Reacts to temperature changes.
- Photochromic Glass: Darkens in response to sunlight.
