SAGE Electrochromics
Encyclopedia
SAGE Electrochromics, Inc. is a specialized window glass developer based in Faribault, Minnesota
. The company develops electronically tintable smart glass (also called electrochromic
glass), for use in building windows and skylights, that can be switched from clear to darkly tinted at the click of a button, or programmed to respond to changing sunlight and heat conditions. According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s
(DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
(LBNL), SAGE's SageGlass technology "has the potential to reduce building heating and air conditioning equipment size by up to 25%, resulting in construction cost savings. SageGlass could also potentially reduce overall cooling loads for commercial buildings up to 20% by lowering peak power demand and may reduce lighting costs by up to 60% while providing building occupants with more natural daylight and greater comfort."
Department of Ceramic Science and Engineering for R&D collaboration with Rutgers scientists.
In 1994, the company changed its name to SAGE Electrochromics, Inc. It moved to Faribault, Minnesota, in 1998, where over the next five years it refined the production process and testing of its first commercial product, SageGlass, in its pilot line facility. Samples of these insulating glass units
(IGUs) were tested by the Department of Energy in the glass fabricating and OEM skylight industry.
In 2005, SAGE moved into its current 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) headquarters and manufacturing facility, and commercially launched its first-generation SageGlass product.
In March 2010, SAGE announced more than $100 million in DOE funding and Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) tax credits to build a new facility in Faribault, Minnesota, to mass produce SageGlass IGUs.
Shortly thereafter, the company announced a new product that combines electrochromic technology with low U-factor triple-pane window glass construction.
On November 10, 2010,French glass and building materials company Saint-Gobain
acquired 50 percent of the SAGE with plans to share the two companies electrochromic glass technology and research and development efforts, The companies are also building the world's first large-scale electrochromic glass plant in Faribault, Minnesota.
In March 2010, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu
announced that the DOE had awarded SAGE a conditional commitment for a $72 million loan guarantee, along with the $31 million Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit SAGE was awarded earlier. The loan guarantee and tax credits are to be used to help SAGE establish a new facility to expand production and lower costs of its electrochromic glass, with the goal to make buildings more energy efficient and create new green manufacturing and construction jobs. The funding was granted under the Department of Energy’s Loan Guarantee Program, established under the Energy Policy Act of 2005
, to support new technologies that reduce or sequester greenhouse gases.
The 50 percent acquisition of SAGE by Saint-Gobain in Novemember 2010 was an additional $80 million investment. SAGE will manufacture the electrochromic glass for both companies at the new Faribault, Minnesota, plant. The facility will allow production of larger sheets of dynamic glass at high volumes, making it suitable and affordable for most buildings.
For example, on hot, sunny days the tint in the windows would darken to reduce glare and block out heat. On cold, cloudy days the windows would clear to allow sunlight and heat to fill the office or home. The electrical switching of tints can be operated manually or integrated into an automated building management system. SageGlass modulates visible light transmission and solar heat gain, and, in the tinted condition, blocks 91 percent of the solar heat gain.
In addition to stopping solar heat gain, electrochromic IGUs block glare, reduce fading, eliminate the need for some other architectural environmental controls such as window shades and awnings, and enable building inhabitants to continually view the outdoors.
SAGE holds 78 U.S. and foreign patents relating to its SageGlass technology.
(LEED) accredited building projects because they provide an additional tool for daylighting design and also conserve energy. SageGlass qualifies for LEED credits in the following categories:
In addition, SageGlass could potentially qualify for the following credit:
Other smart glass manufacturers:
Superinsulated glass manufacturers:
Faribault, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,818 people, 7,472 households, and 4,946 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,644.8 people per square mile . There were 7,668 housing units at an average density of 605.8 per square mile...
. The company develops electronically tintable smart glass (also called electrochromic
Electrochromism
Electrochromism is the phenomenon displayed by some materials of reversibly changing color when a burst of charge is applied. Various types of materials and structures can be used to construct electrochromic devices, depending on the specific applications....
glass), for use in building windows and skylights, that can be switched from clear to darkly tinted at the click of a button, or programmed to respond to changing sunlight and heat conditions. According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
(DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory conducting unclassified scientific research. It is located on the grounds of the University of California, Berkeley, in the Berkeley Hills above the central campus...
(LBNL), SAGE's SageGlass technology "has the potential to reduce building heating and air conditioning equipment size by up to 25%, resulting in construction cost savings. SageGlass could also potentially reduce overall cooling loads for commercial buildings up to 20% by lowering peak power demand and may reduce lighting costs by up to 60% while providing building occupants with more natural daylight and greater comfort."
History
The company was founded in 1989 by John Van Dine, current president and CEO, as Sun Active Glass Electrochromics, Inc. (SAGE) in a Valley Cottage, New York, laboratory. In 1992 the company moved to Rutgers University’sRutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
Department of Ceramic Science and Engineering for R&D collaboration with Rutgers scientists.
In 1994, the company changed its name to SAGE Electrochromics, Inc. It moved to Faribault, Minnesota, in 1998, where over the next five years it refined the production process and testing of its first commercial product, SageGlass, in its pilot line facility. Samples of these insulating glass units
Insulated glazing
Insulated glazing also known as double glazing are double or triple glass window panes separated by an air or other gas filled space to reduce heat transfer across a part of the building envelope....
(IGUs) were tested by the Department of Energy in the glass fabricating and OEM skylight industry.
In 2005, SAGE moved into its current 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) headquarters and manufacturing facility, and commercially launched its first-generation SageGlass product.
In March 2010, SAGE announced more than $100 million in DOE funding and Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
(IRS) tax credits to build a new facility in Faribault, Minnesota, to mass produce SageGlass IGUs.
Shortly thereafter, the company announced a new product that combines electrochromic technology with low U-factor triple-pane window glass construction.
On November 10, 2010,French glass and building materials company Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain S.A. is a French multinational corporation, founded in 1665 in Paris and headquartered on the outskirts of Paris at La Défense and in Courbevoie. Originally a mirror manufacturer, it now also produces a variety of construction and high-performance materials.The company has its head...
acquired 50 percent of the SAGE with plans to share the two companies electrochromic glass technology and research and development efforts, The companies are also building the world's first large-scale electrochromic glass plant in Faribault, Minnesota.
Funding
As of 2010, SAGE Electrochromics has received more than $50 million in venture capital funding and government grants. In July 2007, the company received $16 million in Series B financing from Good Energies, Applied Ventures, LLC and Bekaert. In February 2009, SAGE received an additional $20 million round from the same investors.In March 2010, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu
Steven Chu
Steven Chu is an American physicist and the 12th United States Secretary of Energy. Chu is known for his research at Bell Labs in cooling and trapping of atoms with laser light, which won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997, along with his scientific colleagues Claude Cohen-Tannoudji and...
announced that the DOE had awarded SAGE a conditional commitment for a $72 million loan guarantee, along with the $31 million Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit SAGE was awarded earlier. The loan guarantee and tax credits are to be used to help SAGE establish a new facility to expand production and lower costs of its electrochromic glass, with the goal to make buildings more energy efficient and create new green manufacturing and construction jobs. The funding was granted under the Department of Energy’s Loan Guarantee Program, established under the Energy Policy Act of 2005
Energy Policy Act of 2005
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 is a bill passed by the United States Congress on July 29, 2005, and signed into law by President George W. Bush on August 8, 2005, at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico...
, to support new technologies that reduce or sequester greenhouse gases.
The 50 percent acquisition of SAGE by Saint-Gobain in Novemember 2010 was an additional $80 million investment. SAGE will manufacture the electrochromic glass for both companies at the new Faribault, Minnesota, plant. The facility will allow production of larger sheets of dynamic glass at high volumes, making it suitable and affordable for most buildings.
Technology
SageGlass is electronically tintable glass for use in buildings. It incorporates nanotechnology consisting of five layers of ceramic materials, which have a total thickness that is less than 1/50th that of a human hair. When voltage is applied [less than 5V DC] it darkens as lithium ions and associated electrons transfer from the counter electrode to an electrochromic electrode layer (see Figure 1). Reversing the voltage polarity causes the ions and associated electrons to return to their original layer, the counter electrode, and the glass clears. This solid state electrochromic reaction is controlled through a low voltage DC power supply. When the SageGlass coating darkens, the sun’s light and heat are absorbed and subsequently reradiated from the glass surface to the exterior – much the way low-emissivity glass also keeps out unwanted heat.For example, on hot, sunny days the tint in the windows would darken to reduce glare and block out heat. On cold, cloudy days the windows would clear to allow sunlight and heat to fill the office or home. The electrical switching of tints can be operated manually or integrated into an automated building management system. SageGlass modulates visible light transmission and solar heat gain, and, in the tinted condition, blocks 91 percent of the solar heat gain.
In addition to stopping solar heat gain, electrochromic IGUs block glare, reduce fading, eliminate the need for some other architectural environmental controls such as window shades and awnings, and enable building inhabitants to continually view the outdoors.
SAGE holds 78 U.S. and foreign patents relating to its SageGlass technology.
Testing
SageGlass was the first electrochromic IGU to pass the ASTM E-2141-06 (Standard Test Methods for Assessing the Durability of Absorptive Electrochromic Coatings on Sealed IGU), performing more than 100,000 cycles of accelerated environmental durability testing, which is twice the test standard and equivalent to switching a window nine times per day for 365 days/year over a 30-year lifetime, according to NREL.Green building qualifications
SageGlass is GreenSpec-listed, which means it has been designated as an environmentally preferable building product by BuildingGreen LLC. SageGlass IGUs also qualify for Leadership in Energy and Environmental DesignLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
(LEED) accredited building projects because they provide an additional tool for daylighting design and also conserve energy. SageGlass qualifies for LEED credits in the following categories:
- EA Credit 1 - Optimize Energy Performance (1-19 points possible)
- EA Prerequisite 2 - Minimum Energy Performance (Required)
- IEQ Credit 7.1 - Thermal Comfort Design (1 point possible)
- IEQ Credit 8.1 - Daylight and Views, Daylight (1 point possible)
- IEQ Credit 6.2 - Controllability of Systems, Thermal Comfort (1 point possible)
- SS Credit 8 - Light Pollution Reduction (1 point possible)
In addition, SageGlass could potentially qualify for the following credit:
- I&DP Credit 1 – Innovation in Design (1 point possible)
Competitors
Electrochromic glass manufacturers:- EControl-Glas in Plauen, Germany
- Saint-Gobain in Paris, France
- SoladigmSoladigmSoladigm is a green tech company aiming to develop smart windows based on electrochromism that can control light and heat while maintaining view and reducing glare. Originally named Echromics, Soladigm was founded in 2006 by Dr. Paul Nguyen, an expert who had worked in electrochromism since...
in Milpitas, California
Other smart glass manufacturers:
- Research Frontiers in Woodbury, New York
Superinsulated glass manufacturers:
- SeriousWindows in Sunnyvale, California
Customers
SageGlass has been installed in commercial, institutional and high-end residential applications, including:- Chabot CollegeChabot CollegeChabot College is a community college located in Hayward, California.-Campus:The campus has a 200-seat theatre, a 1,432-seat performing arts center, a full-size planetarium, four major athletic fields, an HD television studio, and an Olympic-class swimming pool.-History:Chabot College was the first...
, Hayward, California - Ball State UniversityBall State UniversityBall State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
, Muncie, Indiana - Club Porticello, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
- Kirksey Architecture, Houston, Texas
- Century CollegeCentury CollegeCentury College is a two-year community college located in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. As a part of the MnSCU system, it is the largest two-year community and technical college in Minnesota...
, White Bear Lake, Minnesota - Siemens Energy, Hutchinson, Kansas
Management team
- John Van Dine – President, CEO and Founder
- Andrew Hulse - Vice President, Sales and Business Development
- Derek Malmquist – Vice President, Marketing
- Hong Mo Yang – Senior VP, Strategy and Business Development
- Dr. Helen Sanders – Vice President, Technical Business Development
- Erik Bjornard – Senior VP, Process Development
- Dr. Neil Sbar – Vice President, Technology
- Glenn Gengel – Vice President, Manufacturing Operations
- Chip Loeb – Senior VP, Government Affairs and Finance
- Jodi Heichert – Vice President, Organization Effectiveness
Awards
- "Bloomberg New Energy Finance" New Energy Pioneer, 2011
- Wall Street Journal’s Technology Innovation Award 2004
- Building Operation Management’s 2010 Top Products Award
- Inc. Magazine’s Most Likely To Succeed Award 2006
- R&D 100 Awards for Energy
- BuildingGreen Top-10 Green Building Products Award 2006
- Home’s 2005 American Building Product Award
- Innovative Housing 2006 Technology Award
- Buildings Magazine’s 2007 Editor’s Choice Top 100 Products Award
- Window Door Crystal Achievement Award 2005