Innovation

VP of Business Development Brandon Tinianov describes the process, "We take a piece of architectural glass and with a tiny electrical charge change it from the usual clear 60% light transmission (like car windshield) down to 1% light transmission. This blocks out 99% of the sunlight but still being perfectly transparent, and a as real benefit rejects 91% of the sun's energy." The technology of treating glass, was invented in the 1970s but as Brandon says, "The real magic is our ability to apply this micro coating to a piece of glass" on a large scale.

In the 1970's, low-e window coating (silver oxide) was invented to minimize the amount of ultraviolet and infrared light that can pass through glass without compromising the amount of visible light that is transmitted. The micro coating is so thin that you can see through it, but this changes the glass properties and rejects the infrared rays from the sun. View's success comes from innovation in manufacturing with the ability to apply a 5-layer coating of this film and make it smart by combining manufacturing advancements from the hard drive, semiconductor, and large flat panel LCD screen industries. "What it boils down to," says Brandon, "Is that we've taken the capability that was around for the last 40 years and applied a ton of innovations and then leveraged the existing manufacturing capabilities to produce this glass."

Benefits in a nutshell:

• No blinds, curtains, or other window coverings needed, allowing the natural light in and the view outside at all times
• 20% Reduction HVAC energy consumption
• 20-30% reduction in size of HVAC systems and at the building level large simplifications to the system used to cool a building
• 23% savings on lighting, electricity, heating, ventilation and air conditioning
• 25% peak load reduction, massive benefits both at the building level and energy grid

Human Wellness:

• Increased employee production up to 20%
• Students - 20% faster on math tests and 26% faster on reading tests
• Reduction in infections in hospitals
• Patients recover 8% faster

Inspiration

There are many that are instrumental in the success of View. One key individual is Dr. Rao Mulpuri CEO. Though not the founder, he spearheaded the early stages of R & D that included 15 or so technologists, manufacturing specialists, and executives working 16 hours a day, 6-7 days a week for years.

Brandon remarks, "They made the impossible possible. Dr. Mulpuri combined his knowledge and experience from large scale semiconductor manufacturing, applied it to the opportunity at View, and then communicated it to investors so they believed in the dream. They then invested in it and built the company from it".

The main inspiration, Brandon explains is, "This is a chance to change the world, this is the chance to fundamentally change the way buildings come together and address climate change. This is mission driven, we are creating a bit of magic here. Think about a piece of glass that is 6 mm thick, that is about a 1/4 inch roughly, then apply a coating atom by atom 1 micron thick. That's around a 50th diameter of a human hair. This is Nano technology, this coating is applied across a surface that is sixty square feet and it has to be perfectly uniform or it will show in the window. This has never been done before, large companies have tried and failed, but these guys made it happen."

Overall impact

A paraphrased quote from Amory Lovins from the Rocky Mountain Institute, states that, "The amount of energy lost through inefficient windows in the US on a daily basis is equivalent to the energy pumped by the Alaskan Pipeline on a daily basis." Windows are one of the first and easiest ways to reduce the energy usage in a building. Explained by Dr. Mulpuri, "Here is what a View window can do: you can control the window just the way you need it. We can track the location, the angle of the sun, the cloud cover, relative to each window, and be able to individualize the performance of that window such that you are able to control heat and glare. So you are now able to maintain the view and light at the time without being disconnected." The control of these windows greatly reduces the energy lost and provides an atmosphere of flourishing for its inhabitants.

Business benefit

View was founded in 2006, and had its rebirth and name change in 2012 when Mulpuri was hired as CEO. View has grown to over $800,000,000 in value. Hundreds of millions of dollars have come from investors including Corning and GE. View's production and sale of dynamic glass has grown from 100,000 square feet in 2012 to 800,000 square feet in 2015. Mulpuri told Forbes that, "Around 25bn square feet of glass are used for architectural purposes, and even owning a small market share could mean a $100bn in revenue for View." Also View is a triple-bottom-line company, as Brandon says, “because it is the right thing to do".

View's growth forecast will be greatly enhanced by several external factors. One being this product is on the road map to net-zero buildings and an energy efficient future. For example, in 2014 California implemented Title 24, which requires new residential construction in 2020 and all buildings in 2030 to be zero net energy. Zero net energy means the annual energy consumption is equal to its annual production of renewable energy. VDG leads right into the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the 2015 Paris Agreement, which over 190 countries signed for the reduction in climate change.

Another area View has entrenched itself is in future wellness implications. Brandon told me that View has 10 medical offices from Kaiser Permanente in design and construction, and he had been talking with the Mayo Clinic that morning for possible future projects. The reason, aside from the energy savings, is that studies have shown that healing time improves when recovering in natural light. In addition, View Dynamic Glass can aid the reduction of infectious diseases like MRSA and staff infections by replacing blinds and curtains which can harbor them.

For View's business customers:

• Lowers the cost of operations and energy savings
• Higher rental rates and faster lease up times which are critical to investment properties.
• Financial implication on the operations and maintenance include: eliminating the cost of maintenance of blinds and other shading devices.
• Occupant benefits like comfort and satisfaction
• Financial implication on health, wellness, and productivity

Patrick Byrne the CEO of Overstock.com changed, in the design phase, to View windows for the Overstock Headquarters in Provo, Utah, stating, "I made the decision to change to View Dynamic Glass because today my payroll is 90 million a year, next year my payroll will be a 100 million. I believe the benefit of the glass will be a 5-6% increase in productivity from my employees."

Social and environmental benefit

The environmental benefits from the installation of VDG will extend beyond the reduction of quadrillions BTU's of energy in the US and globally. Just as important, if not more so, is the emerging research that associates the well-being of people thriving and succeeding in areas with daylight over areas of non-daylight; and areas with views of nature over those without views of nature.

Dr. Mulpuri sums up the importance of his innovation. "In the San Francisco area, building energy costs for the year equate to about $8 per square foot. It is about $80 per square foot for rent, that is 10 times the energy costs. But it is $800 per year for the people in the building with salaries and benefits. Sustainability isn't just about reducing energy consumption, improving efficiency, and material recyclability; it has to be about the people. We have to focus on the quality of the people-hours that are spent inside the building". View Dynamic Glass has set the stage for continued innovation in sustainability and net-zero building compliance while providing an environment where wellness, prosperity, and thriving coexist.

Interview

Brandon Tinianov PhD, P.E., VP Business Development