The Advantages of Using Smart Glass Windows for Businesses

Smart windows are being adopted in a wide variety of industries—from healthcare and universities to hospitality and offices. In particular, SageGlass dynamic glass has been installed in dozens of office buildings all over the world, offering comfortable, beautiful work environments that help employers attract and retain the top talent in their industries.

Photo copyright: © Adrien Barakat

How do buildings and businesses use smart glass?

Architects and project teams who design commercial buildings are focused on the balance of function and style. Smart windows are one important way to achieve that. Most dynamic glass is installed in the building’s façade and exterior-facing windows. These windows tint or clear automatically in response to the sun, preventing excess light and heat from entering a building.

What types of businesses benefit from using smart windows?

Designing a workplace that prioritizes employee wellness can have a direct effect on the business by increasing productivity and retaining workers. For customer-facing buildings, like those in the retail and hospitality industries, smart windows can help boost revenue by increasing the time customers spend in those spaces, and therefore increasing the amount they spend.

Office buildings like Google’s new office campus in Bengaluru, India, offer occupants plenty of sunshine and views of the landscape, while the Millennium office building in Crissier, Switzerland, is a high-tech, sustainable work environment that puts wellness at the fore. Businesses in the hospitality industry, like the Hostellerie am Schwarzsee, a restaurant in Switzerland, and the Geneva Marriott Hotel in Meyrin, Switzerland, report an increase in customers and revenue after installing smart windows.

What are the benefits of dynamic glass for businesses?

Dynamic glass tints automatically in response to the sun. During periods with lots of sun, the glass tints more to reduce excess heat and glare. During periods with less sun, the glass clears. The primary benefit of using dynamic glass in a business setting is to improve comfort for occupants. People working or shopping in spaces with smart windows enjoy cooler temperatures, less glare (including while working with screens), and beautiful views of the outdoors that are unobstructed by blinds or shades. But what does that improved comfort mean for businesses? Here are six benefits of dynamic glass.

1. Productivity. Studies have shown that workers deeply value access to sunlight and outdoor views, and offices that provide those things generally have more productive employees. Smart windows can help decrease sick leave and absenteeism and increase workers’ cognitive function.
   
    
2. Employee retention and acquisition. When the most talented people in any field are looking for their next employers, the physical environment of the workplace tends to carry a lot of weight in their decisions. Modern, comfortable office buildings that use smart windows help attract new employees and retain experienced ones.
   
    
3. Boosted revenue. In restaurants, hotels, casinos, and retail stores, customers experience the benefits of smart windows. They enjoy unobstructed views of the outdoors and plenty of natural light, without uncomfortable heat and glare. Studies show that when guests are more comfortable, they spend more time in a space—and therefore more money.
   
    
4. Energy efficiency and sustainability. Because dynamic glass limits solar heat gain, it reduces the demand on a building’s heating and cooling systems. That has two benefits: Making a “greener,” more energy-efficient building, and lowering energy costs, which improves the business’s bottom line.
   
    
5. Distinctive design. Smart windows minimize the need for traditional blinds and shades, allowing in plenty of natural light and unobstructed views of the outdoors. They let architects and designers work with expansive glass façades and walls that are unhindered by window coverings (which can also be difficult to keep clean). Buildings that use SageGlass’s smart windows have a sleek, bright, and modern aesthetic.
   
    
6. Proven technology. Dynamic glass is no longer an experimental building material. It’s being used in hundreds of buildings around the globe and has been proven to help increase occupant wellness and revenue. SageGlass’s portfolio of case studies showcases dozens of different applications for our industry-leading smart windows.