The largest electrochromic glazing facility in the world, capable of annually producing several million square feet of dynamic glass, has achieved Gold certification under the United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.
The facility is Saint-Gobain’s (IW 1000/74) 320,000-square-foot facility, located in Faribault, Minnesota.
The high-volume facility, which opened in late 2012, has been producing SageGlass for a number of high-visibility projects including the General Services Administration (GSA) headquarters in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Naval Academy’s retrofit of historical McDonough Hall.
The SageGlass facility earned LEED points toward Gold certification for, among other features, its efficient use of water, limiting of light pollution, and attention to indoor environmental quality including abundant use of daylighting and access to outside views for occupants.
The facility construction process earned points for diverting 50% of construction materials from landfills, use of recycled and regionally sourced materials, among other measures.
SageGlass, which can be electronically tinted or cleared to optimize daylight, can reduce a building’s cooling load by 20% and HVAC requirements up to 30%, according to the company.
