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Survey results from Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport demonstrate higher levels of comfort for travelers and workers when SageGlass is in use
Delivering a first-rate travel experience is critical to the bottom lines of airports and airlines, but facilities face challenges in consistently providing the thermal comfort and natural lighting that travelers and employees desire [1].
With most terminals and other high-traffic areas at airports made up of glass, SageGlass, a global leader in smart windows, offers a solution that dozens of airports are adopting. Smart windows tint or clear using intelligent software, controlling heat and light to deliver an enhanced occupant experience.
To demonstrate the difference SageGlass smart windows make in their environment, SageGlass conducted a study at Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport with 160 survey respondents consisting of travelers, airport employees and Transportation Security Administration personnel (TSA). The data was collected over two weeks with comparable weather conditions: one week with the glass turned off and one week with the glass turned on.
Survey Results Showed Major Benefits to using SageGlass
Results include:
Respondents were nearly three times more likely to be satisfied with their thermal comfort when the glass was on.
Respondents were nearly three times more likely to be satisfied with the amount of daylight coming through when the glass was on.
Respondents were nearly two and a half times more likely to be satisfied with glare control when the glass was on.
When SageGlass was turned off, people reported a more negative experience, including sweating and using fans due to the uncomfortably warm temperatures, being unable to see travel documents due to glare on their screens, and an inability to interact with others due to squinting or using sunglasses.
When the SageGlass was turned on, airport and TSA employees were able to do their jobs without interruptions due to the appropriate temperature and window tinting.
"It's a top priority for us to provide a comfortable space for travelers and workers at the airport," said Bryant Walker, Assistant City Manager and Aviation Administrator at Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport. "Workers and travelers alike need to be able to interact without distractions from the heat, glare or brightness coming from the windows surrounding them."
"Site constraints at the airport drove the building orientation with the major terminal facades facing east-west. We knew from the onset that controlling the early morning and late afternoon sun would be a challenge," said Vice President Erik Strain at Corgan, the architectural design firm on the project. "By incorporating SageGlass into the design, we were able to improve thermal and glare control while giving the airport flexibility to control the tinting to meet its unique daily needs."
Why it Matters
Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport, like many airports, has most of its seating near windows. These environments are significantly more affected by outdoor temperatures, glare and daylight when smart windows are not used. As evidenced by the survey findings, travelers experience great discomfort at airports when SageGlass smart windows are not in operation.
This impacts an airport's bottom line, as uncomfortable passengers are unhappy passengers. Just a one percent increase in customer satisfaction can lead to one-and-a-half percent increase in non-aeronautical revenue [2].
"With the glass turned off, Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport functioned like airports with traditional glass, resulting in discomfort based on temperature, glare and brightness from the outdoors.," said Jordan Doria, SageGlass Global Marketing Director. "We are excited that this survey proves what a difference SageGlass smart windows make in creating comfortable indoor environments."
In addition to increased satisfaction with lighting levels and thermal comfort, SageGlass smart windows also resulted in energy savings of 26.8% at Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport when comparing July 2021 to July 2022.
"SageGlass smart windows help address a variety of challenges for airports," Doria said. "We're excited to continue to partner with some of the most forward-looking organizations in the industry as they seek to not only care for their passengers and employees but also make smart business decisions that focus on sustainability and energy savings."
SageGlass has been selected by some of the largest and busiest airports in the United States, including John F. Kennedy International Airport, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Nashville International Airport, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The adoption of smart windows is expected to grow quickly with the Inflation Reduction Act adding dynamic glass to the Investment Tax Credit, covering up to 30% of the costs associated with dynamic glass for eligible projects and moving it towards cost parity with traditional glazing and shading solutions.
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