Imagine, if you were alive, you were back in 1975.

We’ve just endured the travesty of Tricky Dick.  The Viet Nam war is finally over.   A peanut farmer spent two years (a first in political circles) running for president and won.  We’ve survived the Oil Embargo, when gasoline was rationed and life was dramatically curtailed.  Skylab (not the space station) is in the sky and the two major warriors in the world jointly launched a test to make the space station a reality.  Oh, and America is finally upgrading its wastewater treatment systems- some going to secondary treatment (which means removing more than sticks, stones, bones, and other large objects that were the focus of primary treatment; the new approach includes going after the biological load), with a few others advancing to tertiary treatment (removal of specific pollutants that were not biological).

We’ve got the scenario?  Good.

We (that’s Sam and me, and a bunch of very talented craftsmen and engineers) have tested our wastewater recycling system for the home (called Cycle-Let).  Let me qualify that- it recycled all the toilet waste.  Fresh water was still used for drinking and bathing, and we had a grey water (non-toilet waste from the home) concept that would come soon.  But, not quite yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The initial target for CycleLet was vacation homes and homes in remote locations. (Yet, 10 of our test sites were in suburban areas, where communities had imposed “hook-up” bans- which meant new homes could not connect to the community waste systems [a method to stop new homes from being built].  And, the RV- recreational vehicle- market was already under control  with our Porta-Potti systems, holding tanks, and ThermaSan [high temperature incineration of RV wastewater].

Given that we were targeting vacation and remote homes, it also meant that those locations would probably need energy sources.  We had the American rights to the Stirling engine.   And, the highly efficient engine could use a variety of heat sources (solar, among them- plus a variety of fuels).  Our goal was to employ solar panels for heating and hot water, with a connection to the Stirling engine.  And, to make the home more energy efficient, all windows were to be dual paned, with the equivalent of ping-pong balls (actually Styrofoam beads) between them.  A vacuum system (which would be linked to our CycleLet, which already incorporated vacuum toilets- ultra-low flush, efficient commodes) would lift the balls allowing for a scenic view when desired- and a shaded, insulated window treatment the rest of the time.  (I must admit that we did NOT invent this part of our system. It was the brain child of Steve Baer of Zomeworks.  Steve created the “Beadwall” that I just described.)

Sam and I were pretty proud of these designs.  But, given the management with which we dealt, we left to start our own venture (ASTRE) instead.

I am sure you are wondering why I gave such a long introduction.   It’s because a new generation of “beadwall”- one that does more and does it better- is about to become available.

View, Inc. (a perfect name, I might add) is bringing “smart windows” to the market place.  These should disrupt the “window” business- where innovation has been lacking since I was a child (the 1950s) with the development of double pane windows. (This is not a fly-by-night idea; it has $ 1.8 BILLION (!!!) in venture funding.  I’m sure Steve Baer would have loved a fraction of those funds to advance his passive solar ventures.)

You realize that this is not going to be a cheap transition.  Installation and operation will up the ante by at least 50% over the cost of the windows themselves.  But, given the cost of energy (plus blinds and window treatments), these windows will break even in just a few years, compared to conventional double-paned windows.

Each window (with a bluish tint) has its own ip (Internet Protocol) address so that glare, sunlight, and other factors can be controlled via a smart phone. (If the pane is broken or shattered, the security system or police can be notified, too!)  View anticipates being able to project video images on the windows, as well.

View is involved in the retrofit of the TIAA (TIAA-Cref, it’s previous name was the pension/annuity firm that catered to academics back when I was so engaged; they’ve dropped college retirement endowment fund from their moniker since then) building in Manhattan (NYC).  Each window will be installed from the INSIDE of the building- so no scaffolding with workmen hundreds of feet from the ground doing the work.  These renovations should be complete by the end of the year.  (NOTE:  One of the tenants in the TIAA building, which was constructed back in 1959, is Nuveen [now a subsidiary of TIAA]- an investor in View.)

The reduction in glare and solar heating of the interior will enable more space usage- including a few of the upper floors that were overcome by both problems and have been vacant for years.  View also claims removing glare will reduce headaches, and the reduction in solar heat will keep employees more comfortable, so productivity will be enhanced.

And, I can’t wait until I can use those windows to project my computer screen.