Reduce Energy Usage With Smart-Tinting Glass

By Mallory Bulman

When most people think of eco-friendly products, they picture solar panels perched on a rooftop or the now-ubiquitous digital thermostat. However, energy-saving measures can provide significant energy usage reduction in simpler ways, like just being in control of the amount of light a room is exposed to.

Kinestral Technologies, a developer of smart-tinting glass for commercial and residential real estate, has been recognized for its product Halio, which snagged the 2017 North American Smart Glass New Product Innovation Awards from Frost & Sullivan, a market research and analysis firm. 

“Frost & Sullivan’s decision to recognize us as a new product innovation leader is an honor that caps nearly seven years of R&D spent on our Halio smart-tinting glass, which we believe is better than anything that came before,” said Craig Henricksen, vice president of marketing at Kinestral, in a prepared statement. 

After its seven years of research and development Kinestral unveiled Halio, a smart-tinting glass solution that delivers shade from the sun or a clear view indistinguishable from normal glass within a transition time of three minutes. Unlike ordinary glass, Halio can tint to a range of neutral grays to complement a design style, allow a desired amount of privacy or shield from a strong glare. 

“Halio differs from first-generation electrochromic technologies in its rapid tinting speed, uniform tint transition, tint colors, and intuitive user controls. The product’s tinting speed and ability to attain a uniform tint across larger surface areas without a curtain or iris effect are two key features that we believe will help increase the overall adoption of active smart glass technologies,” said Kowtham Kumar, research analyst for energy & utilities at Frost & Sullivan.

For multifamily properties, Halio can do much more than just provide privacy for residents in dense areas. It can also increase comfort and lessen A/C bills in the summer. Keeping out excessive heat can lower HVAC costs, but also protect finishings and woodwork from costly sun damage. 

Halio offers all the components necessary to accommodate installation in any area, including configurations for facades  and options for interior partitions, electrical component cabinets, and desktop and mobile applications that interface with wall-mounted controls. Halio also comes prepared with backup power that ensures continuous functionality even if the building loses power. Users have the choice of sleekly designed wall-mount switches, mobile app control, a desktop application or voice commands. 

After the glass is installed, a mobile app is all that’s needed to ensure that all systems are working as expected. The Halio app auto-configures, tests and troubleshoots the system as it’s being installed. Halio can also collaborate with existing building automation systems. 

Video and image courtesy of Halio Glass