The Future: The Integrated Smart Building
The window & glass industry is alive with innovations that are real and available now. Here are our top 10.
The next frontier is integrating these technologies into “Smart Buildings”. Imagine windows with integrated touchscreen computers, core daylighting systems that funnel natural light deep into a building’s interior, and motorized windows that are fully programmable. By combining these technologies, facilities can achieve unprecedented levels of energy conservation and occupant comfort.
1. Interior and Secondary Windows
Often, the most cost-effective solution for retrofits is installing interior secondary windows, which improve R-values, reduce air infiltration, and enhance sound attenuation. They are particularly useful for historic renovations where the original exterior facade must remain untouched.?
In commercial retrofit projects, secondary windows can improve thermal performance by 50–70% at a fraction of the cost of full window replacement. For institutional buildings such as universities and government facilities with landmark-designated facades, this is often the only viable path to energy code compliance.
Left: Interior-mounted storm window that adds ballistic protection 2) Right; Interior secondary window installation, showing the secondary glazing panel mounted inside the existing window frame with perimeter sealing gaskets to improve thermal and acoustic performance.
2. Photovoltaic Glass
Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) allow the building envelope itself to generate power. Photovoltaic materials replace traditional roofing, skylights, and even curtain walls, turning the facade into a vertical power plant.
Building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) curtainwall retrofit on a commercial building, with solar cells embedded directly into the facade glazing panels.
3. Vacuum Glass
Vacuum-insulated glass (VIG) represents a unique form of insulation. By evacuating the space between panes to a vacuum (as thin as 0.3 mm), it can achieve R-values of 10 to 12, matching the performance of a solid wall in a fraction of the thickness. For commercial retrofit projects where sightline depth is limited, such as historic curtainwall renovations, VIG’s ultra-thin profile makes it a uniquely viable option for achieving modern energy performance within existing framing systems.
Side-by-side comparison of vacuum-insulated glass (VIG) at 6.5 mm total thickness versus a conventional gas-filled IGU at 24 mm, highlighting the ultra-thin profile and microspacer support structure. VIG can be incorporated into an insulated glass unit for increased insulation value.
4. Self-Heating Glass
For specialized applications, self-heating glass can prevent condensation and provide radiant heat, ensuring comfort even in the most extreme cold climates.
Conceptual demonstration of self-heating glass technology using a transparent glass toaster, illustrating how electrically conductive glass coatings generate radiant heat.
Diagram showing how self-heating glass emits infrared radiant heat waves from an electrically conductive coating to prevent condensation and provide supplemental warmth.
5. Dimmable Glass
Part of the “smart window” revolution, dimmable glass allows for passive solar design. These windows can automatically adjust their tint based on the sun’s intensity, reducing cooling loads and glare. In commercial high-rise and institutional settings, electrochromic dimmable glass has demonstrated cooling-load reductions of 20–25% while eliminating the need for blinds and shading systems, thereby reducing long-term maintenance costs.
Dimmable glass can be manually or automatically controlled to vary from clear to dark and any point in between.
6. Suspended Films in Glass
Often referred to as “Heat Mirror” technology, this involves suspending a high-performance film between glass panes. This creates multiple insulating cavities without the weight of a third pane of glass, providing improved thermal performance.
Cutaway diagrams of Heat Mirror technology showing one and two suspended low-E films between glass panes, creating multiple insulating cavities with optional gas fill.
7. Gas-Filled Glass
Replacing the air between glass panes with inert gases such as argon or krypton provides improved insulation. These gases are denser than air, reducing conductivity and the convection currents within the IGU that lead to heat loss.
Argon is the most-used gas for filling IGU airspaces. It can be used in conjunction with Low-E glass. A small percentage of argon is known to leak out each year.
8. Low-E Glass
Low-Emissivity (Low-E) coatings are spectrally selective solutions applied to glass or films. They work year-round by reflecting heat to its source, keeping heat inside during winter and blocking solar heat gain during summer. In commercial office buildings, Low-E coatings can reduce solar heat gain by up to 70%, translating to HVAC savings of 15–20% annually. When specified correctly for a building’s orientation and climate zone, Low-E glass is one of the highest-ROI glazing upgrades available.
Diagram illustrating how Low-E coatings work seasonally: reflecting radiant heat back indoors in winter (left) and blocking solar heat gain in summer (right), while still transmitting visible light.
9. Thermally Broken Frames
Aluminum is a great conductor of heat, which is a disadvantage for energy efficiency. Thermally broken frames use materials like thermal struts or “pour and debridge” systems to separate the interior and exterior aluminum. This improves the Condensation Resistance Factor (CRF), preventing cold spots and interior moisture.
Cross-section views of thermally broken aluminum frame profiles. Thermal breaks separate interior and exterior aluminum to reduce heat conductivity. Left: Pour-and-debridge thermal break subjected to cold on one side of the thermal break. Right: Polyamide thermal strut thermal break. These are rolled in place and can be wider, creating a larger thermal separation
10. Insulated Glass (Double and Triple Glazing)
The foundation of energy-efficient glazing, insulated glass units (IGUs) utilize multiple panes to create a thermal barrier. Switching from single-pane to double- or triple-glazing significantly reduces heat transfer. For a typical 100,000 sq. ft. commercial building, upgrading from single-pane to double-glazed IGUs can yield energy savings of 10–25%, often paying for itself within 5–8 years.
Cross-section diagram of four insulated glass spacer types, showing the primary seal, secondary seal, and desiccant layers that form the thermal barrier in an IGU: 1) Typical IGU with metal spacer 2) Channel-type spacer that reduces thermal conductivity 3) Spacer with a built-in thermal break and 4) Foam or thermoplastic spacer
For commercial and institutional building owners, the building envelope is one of the largest controllable factors in energy spend. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, windows account for up to 30% of a commercial building’s heating and cooling energy use.
Today’s advanced glazing systems are no longer passive elements; they are high-performance technologies that actively manage solar heat gain, thermal transfer, and air infiltration to reduce operating costs and extend building service life.
Drawing on over 30 years of hands-on experience in window and glazing contracting, consulting, and forensic investigation across hundreds of commercial projects, here are the top 10 technologies that deliver the greatest ROI for commercial and institutional buildings.
How a Facade Consultant Helps You Select the Right Technology
With so many glazing technologies available, selecting the right combination for your building requires more than browsing manufacturer brochures. Each commercial property has unique variables, orientation, climate zone, existing framing conditions, energy code requirements, and budget constraints that determine which technologies will deliver the greatest return on investment.
An independent facade consultant serves as your advocate in this process. Unlike manufacturers or contractors who may be incentivized to recommend their own products, a consultant provides unbiased evaluations based on field testing, thermal modeling, and decades of real-world performance data. A facade consultant can help you:
Schedule a Facade Assessment
Is your commercial building losing energy through outdated windows and glazing? Whether you’re planning a major renovation, evaluating retrofit options, or dealing with a glazing system that isn’t performing as specified, Mark Meshulam and the team at Facade Consultants can help. Contact us today to schedule a comprehensive assessment of your building’s facade and glazing