DENVER—Two pioneers of their respective industries—Lutron Electronics, the inventors of lighting control, and SAGE Electrochromics, creator of the world’s first fully automated electronically tintable glass—have teamed up to offer a seamless approach to the problem of regulating indoor light and heat while reducing energy costs.

The integration of Lutron lighting controls and motorized window treatments with SAGE electronically controlled tintable windows optimizes the use of daylight and electric light in offices and homes and enhances occupant comfort. That means increased productivity and comfort and lower energy bills—goals that rank high on any building owner’s list—as well as a “worry free” system integration for the architects and contractors involved.

According to Helen Sanders, PhD, vice-president of technical business development at SAGE, specialists from the two companies will work together to commission the system.

“That’s a first,” she said. “The SAGE-Lutron team will manage the integration from start to finish, giving builders one less detail to worry about in the construction of high performance buildings.”

The new system combines SageGlass®, dynamic glass that tints on demand to modulate light, heat and glare, with Lutron’s portfolio of QS products, including the Quantum® total light management system, HomeWorks® QS total home control system and Sivoia® QS motorized shades. Lutron lighting control systems provide a total light management approach that links a variety of separate components, including EcoSystem® digitally-addressable LED drivers and fluorescent ballasts, wireless occupancy and daylight sensors, motorized window treatments and wireless Pico® keypads to create a single intelligent system capable of controlling everything from a room, to an entire building or a complete campus.

“The combination of dimmable lighting, motorized window treatments and electrochromic glass is a powerful tool in the war against energy waste,” said Pekka Hakkarainen, PhD, vice-president for government affairs at Lutron. “Each of these solutions, on its own, can have a significant impact. Putting them together in an integrated façade can yield even greater savings and a solid return on investment.”

The way it works, he added, is by dramatically increasing the amount of daylight that penetrates a building. “By ‘harvesting’ daylight, we reduce the amount of electric light needed.” Since electric lighting accounts for approximately 381 percent of an average building’s total electricity consumption, the building owner can save up to 602 percent of lighting electricity usage.

“Most important,” added Dr. Hakkarainen, “the solution benefits people. Studies show that daylight and unobstructed views can have an enormous effect on the satisfaction, health, motivation and performance of those who live or work in the buildings.”

For further information about the SAGE-Lutron solution, please visit www.lutron.com or www.sageglass.com to contact a representative.

About Lutron Electronics (www.lutron.com)

Founded in 1961, Lutron Electronics is headquartered in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, in the heart of the Lehigh Valley. The company offers more than 17,000 energy-saving products, ranging from dimmers for the home to lighting management systems for entire buildings, which are sold in more than 100 countries around the world. In the US alone, Lutron products save an estimated 10 billion kWh of electricity or approximately $1 billion in utility costs per year. The company's early inventions-- including the first solid-state dimmer invented by Lutron's founder, Joel Spira--are now at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.

About SAGE Electrochromics, Inc.

SAGE Electrochromics is the world’s leading manufacturer of advanced dynamic glass that can be tinted or cleared to optimize daylight and improve the human experience in buildings. SageGlass controls the sunlight and heat that enter a building, significantly reducing energy consumption while improving people’s comfort and well-being. SageGlass can reduce a building’s cooling load by 20% and HVAC requirements up to 30%. It is a smarter, more elegant solution than conventional sun controls such as mechanical window shades, blinds and louvers. Now celebrating its 10th year anniversary shipping SageGlass commercially, the company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered near Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., in the heart of “the Silicon Valley of the window industry.” SAGE is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saint-Gobain of Paris, the world’s largest building materials company.