According to Sage, the largest energy hog and contributors of harmful greenhouse emissions in the U.S. are not the computer industry, gas-guzzling automobiles, or landfills, but buildings. Accounting for 40 percent of the country’s consumed energy and 38 percent of its greenhouse emissions, buildings themselves need to smarten up in order to keep pace with all the other smart green technology products doing their part to keep energy consumption at a minimum.

Not content to harp on the problem without bringing something productive to the table, Sage is developing a solution in the form of the world’s most energy-efficient window glass. Incorporating Sage’s dynamic tinting technology, which functions similarly to transition lenses used in eyeglasses, the triple-pane, heavily-insulated window’s glazing is produced via nanotechnology. Users can adjust the glazing electronically to manage daylight. Need a cooler, dimmer room? Darken the glazing. Want to warm up the atmosphere for a meeting? Lighten the glazing and let the golden rays of sunshine stream on through.

Image via Sage Electrochromics, Inc.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory attest that highly insulating and electronically tintable windows alone can save five percent of the U.S. energy budget, energy savings equivalent to 160 gigawatts of fossil fuel-generated electricity and 300 million metric ton reduction in CO2 emissions. Sage’s announcement comes mere weeks after receiving more than $100 million in Department of Energy (DOE) loan guarantees and government tax credits, funding made possible by the DOE’s Loan Guarantee Program.