Innovative Glass Corp. has entered into a strategic alliance with Saint-Gobain, makers of electronically tintable SageGlass, to become the company’s exclusive sales representative in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

This partnership enables Innovative Glass to offer another exterior smart glass solution to further address the light and energy management needs of some of the area’s customers. Applications include façades and atria for office buildings, auto dealerships, retail facades, big box stores, restaurants, hospitality properties, education sites and branches of government.

“Innovative Glass has long, deep ties in the switchable or dynamic glass industry, particularly here in the northeast. We present an opportunity for SageGlass to work through us to leverage our relationships with the design and glass communities for quicker adaptation of the SageGlass technology,” says Anthony Branscum, vice president of architectural sales at Innovative Glass. “Sage represents a very unique opportunity for Innovative Glass to be able to partner with the premiere electrochromic producer in the world, at the same time working with a division of Saint-Gobain, a worldwide leader in building materials. The product helps us offer a variable tinting glass that is ready for prime time.”

“As the glazing market continues to become more aware of our dynamic offering, we want to be able to quickly serve major cities seeking our solutions to solve their solar control needs in a new and innovative way,” adds Ryan Park, global head of marketing and product management at SageGlass. “An increase in glass to bring daylight in introduces other design challenges, such as heat gain and glare. This is where SageGlass comes in, dynamic glass that tints automatically to control glare and heat while maintaining a connection to the outdoors for the occupant. Innovative Glass, with their expertise and presence in the market, will be a great partner with SageGlass as we continue to present our value to more building owners and occupants within a high-growth region. In addition, SageGlass is a nice complement to Innovative Glass’ portfolio today.”

The partnership was 1.5 years in the making. According to Branscum, the northeast is one of the largest markets in the U.S., making success in the area vital to long-term success for many companies.

Innovative Glass has not sold electrochromic glass in the past, but has sold similar technologies such as liquid crystal glass, thermochromic glass and suspended particle devices for many years.

“We feel that electrochromic glass is the technology that will ultimately break the price barrier in the dynamic glass industry and because of this we’ll eventually see broad adoption of the glass throughout the building industry,” says Branscum. “We also feel that SageGlass is ready and capable to produce large scale projects with glass that is made with extreme quality and durability. It really is a natural fit in our product portfolio and we couldn’t feel more proud to be able to partner with SageGlass in this endeavor.”

Electronically tintable SageGlass is engineered to tint or clear, automatically or on demand, to control sunlight and prevent heat and glare without the need for blinds or shades. SageGlass reduces energy demand and the need for HVAC by blocking up to 91 percent of solar heat.

“The ability to tint and regulate the light, heat and energy that enters a building through its windows is a function architects and designers have sought for years,” says Innovative Glass chairman and CEO, Steve Abadi, creator and developer of the eGlass product line, which includes Switchable LC Privacy Glass. “With SageGlass from Saint-Gobain, we are now able to break the dynamic glass price barrier for these customers with a technology that is dependable, accessible and market proven.”