One of our proudest objectives at ACDoctor is that we like to think we’re tellin’ it like it is. We strive to give consumers an objective, unadulturated view of air conditioning with all its marvels and warts. So a story like this fits with the game plan.
Which one of the following statements is true: 1. Glass is terribly inefficient and should be banned in construction. 2. Glass can be engineered so it becomes a smart component of modern building.
If you couldn’t decide or you said, Both are true, you collect the prize. You’re right. Both are true.
First, there’s Bad Glass. It’s very poor in the insulation category, which means it leaks energy. Still glass is very much in vogue. Apartment complexes in Dubai or Vancouver or New York look much the same in any of those places: Huge walls of glass with a very large space devoted to HVAC— mostly AC.
One story in the New Statesman maintains that we should take our cue from countries like Greece, which have never had air conditioned homes. Instead, the typical Greek residence is a white-walled, stucco cottage with small windows and a vine-covered roof. Rather attractive, and pretty darned comfortable.
But now here comes Good Glass. Entrepreneurs in Milpitas, California— which has the Mediterranean climate without the 2,000-year-old housing tradition— are marketing something called View Dynamic Glass. (View is the company name; dynamic glass is the product.) Windows made of this glass work the way those adjusting eyeglasses become shades when we move outdoors. By modulating through four tints, the window regulates how much heat and light are allowed into the building.
In a typical installation, the company says the peak load— top demand placed on air conditioning— is cut by 25%. (Lighting is reportedly reduced by another 20%.) Now the question that needs answering is how much those smart windows will cost. Will the builder of a housing development or an apartment building be able to reduce the size of the HVAC? Stay tuned.