Viracon, an architectural glass fabricator based in Owatonna, Minnesota, has unveiled its Viracon PLUS Smart Glass powered by Halio system, billed as a "breakthrough" self-tinting smart glass platform that incorporates Halio, Inc.’s proprietary electrochromic technology into Viracon's insulated glass units.
According to the company:
Viracon PLUS Smart Glass powered by Halio sets a completely new performance bar for electrochromic glass, optimizing occupant comfort through autonomously adjusting tint levels such that energy consumption is reduced while natural light is maximized.
"Viracon PLUS Smart Glass powered by Halio represents a long awaited evolution in smart glass offerings," adds the company's statement. Viracon notes that the Halio technology "enables a crystal clear view of the world when untinted, and a cool neutral gray when tinted." The system's proprietary, cloud-based control combined with IoT sensors, a rooftop skycam and a large internet pipe enable rapid, incremental response to changing environmental conditions outside, inside or even via automated demand response from a utility company.
"Halio maximizes healthy, natural light while restricting excessive heat and glare at the building’s facade," says Viracon. “As the technological leader in electrochromic glass, with years of development underlying these breakthroughs, Halio is committed to producing the most advanced solution that excels in both form and function, delivering the world’s most beautiful smart glass,” adds Halio CEO Bruce Sohn. “With Viracon PLUS Smart Glass powered by Halio, we are arming architects and developers to meet the challenges of climate change without compromising beauty or window-to-wall ratios.”
Via the Halio platform, Viracon says building managers can harmonize lighting, HVAC and the building façade systems, reducing the need for exterior shades and interior blinds. The company adds that buildings glazed with Viracon PLUS Smart Glass powered by Halio "have the intelligence and sophistication to operate autonomously and to be future proofed against tighter codes." The company contends its Viracon PLUS Smart Glass powered by Halio "sets a new standard for electrochromic glass and ushers in the future of environmentally sound architecture."
“Our customers have anticipated a product that allows building owners more control of their building’s interior environment while delivering unparalleled exterior tint uniformity to meet the new realities of climate change and energy codes,” said Garret Henson, Viracon’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Viracon PLUS Smart Glass powered by Halio is the first product to meet Viracon’s standards and marks a turning point for smart glass in the industry. We are redefining tinting glass technology.”
The new glass technology is the first innovative product to emerge from Viracon’s new Viracon PLUS strategic partnership program, which is designed to fuel state-of-the-art architectural glass technology and bring those technologies to market faster. Through this new program, Viracon has formed a partnership with Halio, Inc. – combining Viracon’s expertise and scalability of glass fabrication with Halio’s market-leading smart-tinting technology – "that will change the architectural glass community’s view of smart-tinting glass," contend the partners.
Viracon says its world-class fabrication capabilities and wide range of coatings allow Halio’s electrochromic technology to seamlessly integrate into an insulated glass unit without compromising quality or performance, and empowers architects to select the glass and coatings that match the vision and personality of their building’s design.
“At Gensler, we strive to make the places people live, work, and play more inspiring, more resilient, and more impactful, and have long sought a smart glass offering that enriches the experiences of building occupants while furthering our efforts to design eco-friendly environments,” asserted Tim Taylor, Principal at Gensler, in a product testimonial. “Viracon PLUS Smart Glass powered by Halio is the first electrochromic glass solution to satisfy the standards of Gensler’s most discerning clients, and I expect the offering to unleash an unprecedented wave of adoption.”
Through its Viracon PLUS program, Viracon says going forward it will partner with leading technology companies to introduce "game-changing new products that will shatter the status quo of high performing architectural glass." With its industry-leading glass fabrication expertise, trusted supply chain, and an unrivaled industry network, Viracon says it provides the platform to deliver state-of-the-art glass technology at unprecedented scale.
“We’re proud to combine forces with Viracon,” concludes Halio CEO Sohn. “We believe the combination of our industry-leading smart glass technology with Viracon’s world-class glass fabrication capabilities redefines this category.”
To learn more about Viracon PLUS Smart Glass powered by Halio, visit www.viracon.com/smart-glass.
