Congressman Steven Horsford Introduces Dynamic Glass Act of 2021

WASHINGTON D.C. — Today, Congressman Steven Horsford reintroduced the Dynamic Glass Act of 2021, which would incentivize businesses to invest in the technology and deployment of electrochromic glass to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance President Biden's Build Back Better plan. Electrochromic glass is a specialized glass product that saves energy by providing control over the amount of light and heat entering a building.

"Nevada is one of the fastest growing states in the country, and with the development of new commercial and residentials buildings, emissions and energy consumption are expected to rise," said Congressman Steven Horsford "The Dynamic Glass Act would incentivize greater use of electrochromic glass which would help keep emission levels and energy usage low while at the same time providing lower energy bills to businesses and homeowners."

"To address climate change, we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions from commercial buildings and smart policies like the Dynamic Glass Act are an essential part of the solution," said Mahseh Ramanujam, President and CEO US Green Building Council, Green Business Certification Inc. "Congressman Horsford should be applauded for his leadership in advancing this effort and moving this nation's buildings closer to a green and healthy future."

"At View, we are creating the future of buildings and infrastructure to be smart, sustainable and healthy. We are also the future of American manufacturing and innovation with high paying, high-tech jobs," said Rao Mulpuri, CEO of View, a smart window company. "The Dynamic Glass Act will accelerate this journey and establish the US as a global leader in smart building technology."

In the United States, commercial buildings account for 19% of total energy consumed in the United States, representing 440 million metric tons of CO2 emissions. Traditional windows are a significant source of this energy loss, responsible for 30% of building energy consumption or 430 billion kWh of electricity. Combined, commercial and residential buildings account for 35% of energy related carbon emissions.

Electrochromic glass delivers significant energy reductions in all regions and climates. Annual cooling load reductions are 20%, with peak reductions from 19% to 26%iii. Installing 20 million square feet of electrochromic glass over the next 5 years would avoid up to 1.85 million metric tons of CO2 emissions. The U.S. Department of Energy calculates that if all of today's traditional windows were replaced with electrochromic glass, nationwide window energy losses could be eliminated and instead converted to a 320 billion kWh net energy gain. Electrochromic windows could be net producers of energy by optimizing heating and lighting within buildings.

For more information on electrochromic glass, click here.

MEDIA CONTACT

Geneva Kropper | Geneva.Kropper@mail.house.gov | 202-849-0251