The Windy City Welcomes Sustainability at Greenbuild

Greenbuild brought the latest in sustainable innovation to McCormick Place in Chicago this week. Glass and glazing companies showcased their daylighting and energy efficient solutions.

Pilkington’s collaboration with Walker Textures includes acid-etched patterns on glass that are visible to birds to prevent bird collisions.

Pilkington North America focused on its bird-friendly collaboration with Walker Textures which includes Pilkington’s coating on acid-etched glass from Walker. The horizontal stripped pattern is preferred because it doesn’t interfere with views, according to Pilkington manager of business development Neil McSporran.

The company also showcased its vacuum insulating glass solution and Pilkington Super Spacia, which is 10-mm thick and has a U-value of 0.13.

The Norton 5800 Series ADAEZ low-energy operator from Assa Abloy is 100 percent regenerative.

Assa Abloy featured its Rockwood panic device, which uses a latch instead of roller balls to prevent the door being forced open or slipping out of place. The panic is also adjustable in the field. Another highlight was the Norton 5800 Series ADAEZ low-energy operator. It attaches to the door rather than the frame and is 100-percent regenerative. Energy created by opening and closing the door is stored in an on-board capacitor and used to power the ADA automatic function of the operator. It can also be plugged into the grid. Amy Vigneux, director of sustainable building solutions for Assa Abloy, said that other states are following California’s lead in ADA and energy standards, codes and goals, making these types of product necessary for energy efficiency requirements.

Alpen showcased its high-performance door with ADA compliance. It has a low-profile sill and a magnetic seal in two spaces to prevent air penetration. The company also offers triple- and quadruple-glazed windows with thin glass.

Allowing building occupants to maintain views and a connection to the outside is important for their well being. Access to daylighting was a major theme at Greenbuild. SageGlass debuted its Harmony dynamic glazing solution at the show. The product provides a seamless gradient transition for precise solar control, according to Amie Fluker, Northern California territory manager. It allows more daylight into a space compared to tinting an entire window.

Kinestral displayed its Halio dynamic glass at Greenbuild.

Halio by Kinestral also offers dynamic glazing solutions. Craig Henricksen, vice president of marketing at Kinestral, spoke about the potential of dynamic glazing in the residential sector. He said the residential market is harder to get into because it is more fragmented than the commercial market. According to Henricksen, once the product is more turnkey and efficient it could be viable as a residential product.

ClearVue debuted its new transparent PV solution to the U.S. market at Greenbuild.

ClearVue debuted its transparent photovoltaic product to the U.S. market at Greenbuild, following its European debut at glasstec in October. The company has an app that is linked into the entire solar window system to bring live data on money saved and energy generated. ClearVue’s product collects UV and infrared light within the interlayer and sends it to photovoltaic cells along the frame of the window so that occupants can still see outside of the glass. The company is looking to tie in with fabricators and distributors.Sensitile’s products all interact with light to maximize lighting in a space.

Sensitile Systems was set up as part of the Mindful Materials section of the show. The company offers resin, terrazzo and glass products that use and alter light. The products reflect ambient light and can even be paired with edge lighting to create a unique design and maximize light distribution within a space. Its laminated glass products are fire-rated and qualify as a safety glazing product.