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New windows in Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport are putting a chill on temperatures and energy bills while doubling drink sales and helping travelers quit hugging the walls and start embracing the windows.
Dynamic glass, the wonder material used to make the windows at DFW Airport, runs an electrical current through microscopic layers of an electrochromic ceramic using algorithms based on time of day, sitting-person height, cloud cover and other factors to change the amount of light it lets into tarmac-facing areas.
The glass is so good at doing its job that drink sales at the nearby Twisted Root have doubled, according to the Dallas Morning News. A Cornell researcher working for View, the company that installed the glass, said this was a function of increased customer comfort.
“When it’s this kind of environment where you have a lot of glare and heat, it tends to drive people away,” View Vice President of Marketing Jeff Platón told DMN. "We're trying to do something that's good for the planet, good for people's health and wellness, and also good for profitability.”
If used on a large scale, the glass is said to be able to reduce energy prices by 20% and temperatures by 15 degrees. DFW Airport’s annual energy bill is roughly $18M, meaning a 20% discount is a pretty penny.
"It really does track with our other findings, which is whenever we do something to be more green, it helps the bottom line as well," DFW Airport spokesman David Magana said.
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