The Schüco winter garden with SageGlass® technology provides thermal insulation, shading, but does not limit impressive views

The winter garden that can be used year-round was the vision of the owners of a family home near Oslo. The perfect balance between adequate thermal insulation, shading, wind resistance, and unlimited views was created by the winter garden systems from Schüco equipped with electrochromic dynamic glass SageGlass®, which can be absolutely quietly and electronically darkened or lightened according to needs. The result is a transparent living space that provides shading and protection from glare and heat regardless of weather conditions. More at www.schueco.cz

The residential area of Fürstlia on the Snarøya peninsula west of Oslo offers ideal conditions for a winter garden. The impressive views of the wooded islands and riverbanks crowned by the sunset over the Oslofjord inspire clients to expand their homes with a transparent living space that can be used year-round.

Outdoor sunshades limit views and may not withstand snow or wind...

Although the area around Oslo is located at the same latitude as Alaska, the Gulf Stream grants it a milder climate. Still, average temperatures only rise into double digits from May to September, and extreme temperatures above or below freezing can strike at any time during the year. A maximum of 10 days of precipitation per month guarantees plenty of sunshine throughout the year. Additionally, due to its coastal location, it is quite windy here.

Similar climatic conditions posed serious challenges for designers of winter gardens, which could not be fully solved with available technologies to ensure a comfortable balance between thermal insulation, shading, wind resistance, and unlimited views.

Over time, issues with energy losses were overcome through a combination of highly thermally insulated frame profiles and triple insulating glass. However, problems with shading persisted. The only effective solution was outdoor sunshades that were regulated according to weather conditions and temperature. This type of shading, however, restricts views once deployed, can only be used up to a certain wind speed, and may not always withstand heavy snowfall.

Schüco with SageGlass® technology regulates the supply of daylight, solar heat, and shading, without limiting views

Clients from the residential area of Fürstlia were eventually convinced by the advantages of self-tinting panels made of functional glass, which fit perfectly for the pitched roof of the winter garden attached to their home. In collaboration with Saint-Gobain, Schüco offers a range of SageGlass® glass fillings with an electrochromic layer for selected door, window, and facade systems. Facade specialists from Glassteam AS combined this innovative shading solution with the Schüco CMC 50 winter garden system, which stands out for its excellent structural parameters and exceptional thermal properties, making it an ideal construction for the installation of triple insulating glass panels.

The electrochromic glass SageGlass® can be quietly and electronically darkened or lightened as needed

The innovative glass technology SageGlass® is based on dynamic glass. As so-called electrochromic glass, SageGlass® can be absolutely quietly and electronically darkened or lightened according to needs - either automatically, at the touch of a button, or via a touchscreen. This allows for individual regulation of the supply of daylight, solar heat, and shading. Unlimited views remain preserved at every degree of darkening. Since ordinary mechanical sunshades can be dispensed with, architects can create completely new design facades. SageGlass® thus becomes not only an ecological alternative to blinds, slats, and roller shutters, but also a guarantee of a pleasant indoor climate. It primarily impresses with its simple aesthetics. The light permeability of the Schüco shade with SageGlass® technology can be regulated in four stages between 1% and 60%. This reduction decreases not only dazzling sunlight but also heat penetration. SageGlass® thus creates light-filled spaces and a pleasant indoor climate even at high outdoor temperatures.

Due to strict building regulations in the area, it was necessary to strictly adhere to the dimensions and structural type of the original winter garden, which was located on the first floor of the house. The wide range of construction elements offered within the Schüco CMC 50 system allowed for example to distribute the load with supporting columns that were fixed diagonally to the outside wall of the house. The installation of heating units in the floor construction took place only after the profiles were installed and the glass panels were fitted. Given the high weight of these triple glass panels and the location of the winter garden on the first floor, the facade contractor used a crane for installation. This allowed for the quick, safe, and damage-free installation of custom-made multifunctional glass fillings.

"It's a top-notch solution," confirms Henrik Søgaard Karlsen, developer and production director from Glassteam AS. Due to its advantages, it has no competition, especially in very windy areas: "Outdoor shading controlled by sensors must remain retracted for safety reasons when a certain wind speed is reached and also during snowfall," explains Mr. Karlsen and continues: "On sunny and windy days - of which there are quite a lot in such coastal areas - therefore shading with standard systems is impossible at all, or at best only to a limited extent. In contrast, our solution allows shading without any restrictions, even in rain or wind."

In the new winter garden, owners can also light candles

If homeowners wish to use the winter garden year-round as an extension of their living space, it is essential to ensure a temperature in a comfortable range – that is, between 18°C and 21°C in warmer periods and a maximum of 27°C in cooler periods. The combination of an excellently insulated profile system with triple insulating glass (pitched roof with SageGlass® panels) reliably achieved the desired result, all without limiting the view outside and without air conditioning. In terms of thermal insulation, it was possible to eliminate airflow near the glass fillings, which causes so-called "creeping cold." Clients from the Fürstlia residential area can now also light candles in their new winter garden, which used to flicker intensely and often extinguish due to airflow in the old winter garden. Moreover, the need for thermal separation of the house and winter garden has been eliminated – regarding temperature properties, it can be connected to the adjoining living space.

Technical information

SageGlass® - functions and benefits
The SageGlass® technology is available in double or triple insulating glass variants. The functional electrochromic layer is protected from weather influences thanks to its placement inside the outer layer of the composite glass filling and consists of five ceramic layers. The ceramic material is particularly durable and easily absorbs heat and light for many years. Only a low voltage of just 5 volts is needed, and the position of lithium ions and electrons in this layer changes, leading to the darkening of the glass. This process occurs in four stages: 1. no tinting (54-60% light transmittance), 2. slight tinting (16% light transmittance), 3. medium tinting (6% light transmittance), and 4. maximum tinting <1% light transmittance. Even in the case of tinting, it is still possible to see out of the glass. After a change in polarity of the voltage, the ions and electrons return to their original position, and the glass is clear again. The amount of energy consumed daily per square meter averages less than 3 watts. SageGlass® technology is available in four color options: colorless, blue, gray, and green.

SageGlass® technology reduces light transmittance, preventing fading of furniture and textiles

SageGlass® technology allows for the regulation of the amount of sunlight entering the building, thus preventing glare and overheating – regardless of the height of the building. At the same time, visibility outward and connection to the outside world is always maintained. In the case of larger commercial projects, these glass fillings also meet sustainability requirements and allow for earning up to an additional 8 points for LEED certification. Furthermore, they save energy consumption and overall operating costs by contributing to reducing climate control and lighting costs in the building. The ability to limit light transmittance between 1% and 60% also helps prevent fading of furniture, textiles, wooden floors, carpets, and artworks.

The SageGlass® technology can currently be combined with windows from the Schüco AWS series in basic depths of 75, 90, and 120 mm, with door systems Schüco ADS 75 and ADS 90, facade systems Schüco FWS 50 and FWS 60, and the Schüco CMC 50 winter garden system.

Project information

For more information visit www.schueco.cz