| Sustainable
School Selects SageGlass Products for Energy Conservation
Expected to open in 2007, Twin Lakes Elementary School in Elk River,
Minn., will feature electronically tintable SageGlass windows installed
in the building's science center. At the push of a button, the glass
will switch from a clear to highly tinted state, actively controlling
daylight, heat gain and glare, while maintaining the view outdoors.
These benefits along with other sustainable design strategies aid the
school district's pursuit of U.S. Green Building Council's Gold
Certification under the LEED Rating System. In addition to contributing
to its learning environment, the innovative window system will be become
part of the curriculum for the school's 750 students. The SageGlass product application will be the focus of a "learning lab" in which Twin Lakes' students will conduct energy- and temperature-related comparisons between their SageGlass-equipped science center and their classrooms with conventional windows and shading. "We look at this science lab as a 'pilot project' for the SageGlass product and we intend to incorporate it into the school district's elementary school science curriculum as a learning tool," noted Dr. Ron Bratlie, director of business and operations for Elk River Area School District ISD 728. "One of the main drivers of the design and construction of this $18 million project is energy conservation, and that is one of the things that spurred our choice of SageGlass units. This product's capacity for suppressing solar heat gain will result in significant cooling and heating savings for Twin Lakes." According to Helen Sanders, SAGE's vice president of customer solutions, it takes less electricity to power and control 1,500-square-feet of SageGlass products per day than it does to power a 60-watt incandescent light bulb. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that electronically tintable window systems are capable of providing up to 40 percent savings on energy bills, 20 percent savings on operating costs, 24 percent reduction in peak demand and a 25 percent decrease in the size of HVAC systems. Functionality also holds strong appeal for Bratlie, he said. "The tintable window units provide the daylighting that's so important for learning, while enabling teachers to control light intensity. Blinds and shades really have no place in sustainable design and building, because they require the use of more electric lighting more often, which in turn leads to higher energy costs." He added, "SAGE's glass products will allow natural light to continue entering the interior space, simultaneously providing the desired darkening, as well as maintaining climate control and comfort for teachers and students. The electronic tinting of SageGlass products is a green technology that fits the Twin Lakes project very well." Glare control is another SageGlass product feature that will be of special importance to the science center and its users, "because it will enable better utilization of PCs and other equipment for which glare minimization is necessary," Bratlie observed. The science center is on the south-facing side of the school and is located near the building's core. The window units are fabricated into window systems manufactured by Wausau Window and Wall Systems and installed by W.L Hall Company. "This is our first use of SageGlass products, and we are excited," says Mike Schrock, a principal in Schrock DeVetter Architects, P.A., "We designed Twin Lakes in accordance with high-performance building standards and 100 percent daylighting concepts, so it made good sense to incorporate sustainable tintable window technology that promotes daylighting and adds to the building's quality of life."
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