Switchable Glass for Homes and Offices
August 27, 2018The switchable glass is one of the best privacy solutions today. Although used extensively in several industrial applications, the ‘smart glass,’ as it is also popularly known, is an excellent solution for selective privacy at home and office.
The switchable glass is an electrically-conductive device which allows you to control its opacity level easily. It can run on photochromatic, thermochromatic or electrochromatic mechanisms. It enables to transform from frosted to clear in a moment, with just a push of a button. Once the electric current is switched off, the PDLC glass turns to its original opaque form instantly.
To make things even more efficient, our smart glass can be operated using conventional power buttons, remote control, using a command from your smartphone and also synchronize with motion and light sensors.
Fundamentals of Switchable Glass
The fundamental principle through which a switchable glass can turn transparent from opaque, and vice versa, is owed to the unique Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) solution used to make it.
Smart glass is composed of two sheets of the high-grade commercial glass pane with the PDLC sandwiched between them. Two electrodes have connected to this sheet of PDLC glass.
Normally, the liquid crystal particles dissolved in the polymer tend to get organized into a particular random pattern. However, when an electric current passed through the PDLC solution, the liquid crystal particles change their position to form one direction pattern.
Hence, in the standard conditions, the smart glass remains utterly opaque, as the random arrangement of liquid crystal particles restricts light from passing through. However, when an electric current passed through the electrodes, the switchable glass turns transparent instantly, thanks to the specific arrangement of the liquid crystal particles.
Why choose Switchable Glass for Homes and Offices
Office and home are the two most common places where we require privacy. To ensure this, we have conventionally used room partitions or dividers, along with glass on windows and doors. However, the choice of conventional glass mainly consists of entirely transparent, mostly transparent/opaque and completely opaque. On the other hand, with PDLC glass you can select the level of opacity/transparency in your doors and windows with a simple flick of a switch or even a voice command.
These are the prime advantages that make switchable glass an ideal choice for homes and offices everywhere:
Regulated transparency level
By regulating the flow of electric current through it, you can easily control the level of transparency offered by your smart glass. You can now choose to turn your window or door transparent, to translucent and even opaque, within just a few seconds.
Controls temperature indoors
The smart glass you not only control the amount of light that flows through but also effectively control the temperature inside. It is a useful, efficient and excellent alternative for smart climate controls in offices as well as homes.
Ideal UV Shielding
A switchable glass can effectively shield you against the harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation which is in the sunlight. It can block around 99.4% of UV rays from entering indoors.
Top-grade manufacturing
Smart glass is made using the highest quality materials, which ensures optimal operations and effectiveness. Only the best grade glass/polycarbonate material used in manufacturing the best switchable glass.
Energy Efficiency
Smart glass uses almost negligible electric current to operate. Typically, a PDLC glass is able to run on only 0.00077 W/sq inches of wattage. On top of this, with the ability to utilize daylight you can save a significant amount on utility (electricity) bills as well.
All these and more such advantages make switchable glass for homes and offices an ideal solution for light and climate control indoors.