Clayton Glass has launched Smartglass Dynamic, which it claims is the industry’s first automatically self-tinting glass technology for conservatories, orangeries and other glazing elements.
According to Clayton, this new glass technology represents ‘the dawn in a new era of dynamic conservatory living’, but importantly for installers, can be handled in the same way as any other glass unit, is reportedly simple to install and will be manufactured in any shape within 10-14 days.
In the middle of summer, Smartglass Dynamic will reportedly change from a clear state in the morning to a deep blue during the day where solar control and light shading is needed most, yet as the unit cools will go back to clear at the end of the day and into the night. At all other times of day and season, this glass innovation will offer ‘various semi-tinted states’ according to Smartglass, depending on the surface temperature of the glass. In it’s clear state, the product is said to offer ‘a similar light transmission to a standard clear glass unit’.
From a technical perspective, the solar factor (G-value) of Smartglass Dynamic reportedly varies from 10-34%, with light transmission of 6-60% and offers a U-value of 1.2 W/m2K. From a solar control standpoint, it offers the best performance of any conservatory roof glass in the UK and with many standard roof glass offerings only able to achieve a G-value of 40%, outperforms these even in a clear state, with the considerable added benefit of acting dynamically from 10-34%, 365 days a year.
Clayton Glass has also developed a Smartglass Dynamic sample kit. This handy sized, interactive marketing tool, is said to ‘highlight the unique characteristics of this pioneering glass technology, in a clever and engaging way’.
Jason McCabe, commercial and site director of Clayton Glass, commented: “This is quite simply the most exciting glass development to hit the conservatory and domestic glazing markets I’ve seen in my career. It’s commercially viable from a manufacturing, installation and sales and marketing perspective and we’re expecting considerable interest in the product.”
