Smart Ways to Use Smart Glass at Home

The choice of what glass to use in your home is no longer clear.
Different varieties of so-called smart glass can keep out prying eyes, regulate room temperature or conceal televisions.
 
Inspired by the workplace environment, more homeowners are demanding similar technology for their residences, says Anthony Branscum of Innovative Glass Corp., based in Plainview, N.Y.
“We’ve seen more and more consumer-driven requests for the product,” he says.
 
Here are a few intelligent ways to put smart glass to work.
Switch to Privacy
Switchable privacy glass consists of two panels that sandwich a polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal film that conducts electricity. The glass is opaque—until the voltage is switched on, which causes the film’s particles to align, turning the glass transparent. The glass is used to divide or conceal rooms (an open-plan kitchen can vanish when guests are over) and can be hooked up to motion sensors (a shower door that turns opaque upon entering).
One customer in Bel Air, Calif., spent about $40,000 to install switchable glass throughout his home, including turning a big window into a projection screen viewed from an outdoor living room, says Thomas Lee of Glass Apps. An average-size piece of glass uses up about as much electricity as an alarm clock, says Mr. Branscum, of Innovative Glass. There are size limitations, and even the clear option has a slight haze.
Watch Yourself
Tired of staring at your own reflection? A mirror that is also a television may be the answer. The MirrorVue TV is built onto coated, two-way glass that acts like a TV screen but looks like a mirror when it is off, says Jackie Valle, a sales and product specialist at manufacturer Evervue, based in Boca Raton, Fla. The screens are designed to be slim—about 1.3 inches deep—and waterproof, making them popular in bathroom vanities. 

Smarten Up