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Assessment of Attitudes and Expectations of Switchable Glass Among United States Window Manufacturers
Published: 2015-6-19 15:57:36

Key Words: Switchable  glass Marketing research



ABSTRACT
Over the past several years, a growing amount of scientific
data has been collected to examine various performance
characteristics of switchable glass technologies. However,
very little marketing-related information has been
assembled to assist business managers in the development
of new product strategies pertaining to switchable glass.
This paper focuses on the results of a set of interviews of
executives and managers involved in new product planning
or product development at United States window
manufacturers. The survey examined attitudes and
expectations for switchable glass window products.
Having obtained these measurements, business managers
and strategists can more accurately understand and plan for
the needs and desires of a key segment of firms involved in
the delivery of switchable products to the market.
This paper initially describes the methodology used to
collect the data. Following that, it examines awareness and
knowledge levels of switchable glass technology, the
perceived importance of various product attributes to endusers,
expectations for the adoption of the technology by
window manufacturers and end-users, and estimates of
price sensitivity amo ng window manufacturers. The paper
concludes with an assessment of the pace of new product
launches among window manufacturers and a discussion
of the implications for managers interested in furthering
the development of the market for switchable glass.
INTRODUCTION
Switchable glass is a class of technologies that uses
electrical voltage to control the amount of light passing
through glass. The technology can be used in numerous
applications, including windows and interiors partitions,
automotive mirrors and sunvisors, eyewear, flat panel
displays and advertising signage. Various types of
switchable glass technology exist, including
electrochromic (EC), liquid crystal (LC) and suspended
particle device (SPD). As a whole, this class of
technologies has received substantial attention recently due

to many factors, including consumers’ growing needs for
energy efficient products, products that provide greater
privacy and security, and products that are technologyenabled.
Windows that include switchable glass, often
described as “smart” windows, can serve each of these
needs.
In an effort to identify and benchmark important attitudes
related to switchable glass technology for windows, a
marketing research study of United States window
manufacturers was commissioned by Research Frontiers
Incorporated (Woodbury, NY) during the summer of 2000.
Research Frontiers is a developer and licensor of
suspended particle device technology. Using a probability
sampling procedure followed by statistical analyses of the
data, various attitudinal measures were developed and are
presented. Segmentation of the respondents into selected
independent groups is subsequently conducted and
hypothesis tests are performed to highlight commonalities
and differences based on the nature of the responding
companies. Finally, a predictive model is developed to
forecast manufacturers’ interest in offering smart window
products with switchable glass in the future.
METHODOLOGY
The research methodology included a series of stages
designed to optimize the study’s validity and reliability. A
structured survey instrument was designed using input
from several sources including industry professionals and
trade publications. The instrument was pre-tested prior to
formal data collection. A contact list of 493 unduplicated
window manufacturers in the United States was assembled
(SIC 344202). Although this was the largest compilation
practically available at the time of the study, the list may
not have been totally exhaustive due to a variety of factors
such as mergers, divestitures and other issues inherent to
the due course of business. Data were collected by
telephone, and survey respondents were screened to
include only those involved in new product development



or product planning at their respective companies.
Respondents were most likely to include those serving in
engineering, research and development, and marketing
positions. Representative titles include: Manager of
Engineering and Quality, R&D Manager, and Vice
President of Marketing and Planning.
From the master list of 493 window manufacturers, calls
were made to 174 different companies. Fifty interviews
averaging 25 minutes in length were completed. This
yielded an overall response rate of 28.7%, and a margin of
error (a=0.05) of +/- 13.9%.
DESCRIPTIVE RESULTS
Awareness and Knowledge
Awareness of switchable glass technology for windows is
strong, with 71.7% of those surveyed claiming some level
of awareness of the technology. As Table 1 indicates,
awareness of specific types of switchable glass technology
is notably lower. [1]
Table 1. Total Awareness and Awareness of Specific
Switchable Glass Technologies
Category % Aware*
Switchable Glass 71.7%
Liquid crystal (LC) 45.2%
Electrochromic (EC) 32.6%
Suspended particle device (SPD) 24.6%
* Aided awareness obtained using the category term as a prompt.
It is likely that awareness of at least one of these
technologies, suspended particle device (SPD) technology,
has increased since this study was conducted. Research
Frontiers has licensed this technology to various
companies including Hankuk Glass Industries, Korea’s
largest glass manufacturer. In January 2001, Hankuk
established a separate subsidiary, SPD Inc., devoted
exclusively to the production of SPD film and endproducts.
Mass production of SPD products at SPD Inc.’s
plant in Inchon, Korea began in February 2002. This major
series of events in the history of switchable glass
technology has attracted significant press coverage in the
United States, Asia and other parts of the world. The
associated publicity likely has heightened the awareness
level of SPD technology particularly and switchable glass
technology as whole.
Knowledge of the properties inherent to switchable glass
technology is very limited. For most respondents, the level

of knowledge in this area is restricted to two items: 1.)
switchable glass products control the amount of light
transmitted through glass, and 2.) the actual control
function is accomplished through the integration of an
electrical interface into the product. Very few respondents
were able to share any technological or performance
information about either LC, EC or SPD switchable glass
specifically.
End-users’ Interest in Switchable Glass Products
Respondents were asked to rate the expected level of
interest in switchable glass products among residential and
commercial end-users within the next three years. To
obtain this information, respondents were first asked to
identify whether their company offered window products
to the residential market or to the commercial market.
Fully 96% reported that their company offers window
products to residential homes, while 66% said their
company offers products to commercial buildings.
Among those whose companies serve the residential
market, 17.2% believe that residential homeowners will be
“very interested” in switchable glass products over the
next three years, while 45.2% claim that residential
homeowners will be “very interested” or “somewhat
interested” in such products over the next three years. Only
8.3% claim that homeowners will be “very disinterested”
in these products over the next 3 years. Among
individuals whose companies serve the commercial
market, 34.2% believe commercial developers will be
“very interested” in switchable glass products within the
next three years. Almost seventy percent (69.4%) feel that
commercial developers will be “very interested” or
“somewhat interested” in switchable glass products within
this time period. Just 9.1% believe that commercial
developers will be “very disinterested” in switchable glass
products over the next 3 years.
Importance of Various Attributes to End-Users
The individuals interviewed for the study were asked to
rate the level of importance that various attributes of
switchable glass technology would have to end-users (i.e.
prospective window buyers). These attitudes reflect an
impression that the needs of potential consumers are
highly functional in nature, with durability, the reduction
of glare and heat, the ability to be used with low-e glass
and the control of daylight as the most important product
attributes. Respondents were asked to rate each item using
a 1 to 4 scale, where 4 was “very important” and 1 “very
unimportant.” The average importance scores for each of
the attributes examined are presented in descending order


Table 2. Perceived Importance of Various Switchable
Glass Attributes to End-Users
Rank Attribute Mean
1 Durable 3.8
2 Reduce glare and heat 3.5
3 Ability to be used with low-e 3.4
4 Control of daylight 3.4
5 UV protection 3.3
6 Offer range of light transmission 3.3
7 Eliminate need for window
coverings
2.9
8 Increase security 2.8
9 Aesthetic benefits 2.8
10 Manual & automatic adjustment 2.5
Importance of an Almost Instantaneous Tint Change to
End-Users
Scientific research indicates that switchable glass
technologies vary in terms of the speed of their tint change.
Some technologies change almost instantly, while others
are significantly slower to change tint. Further variation
exists in terms of the range of light transmission available,
with some technologies offering just “clear” and “light
scattering” (but not light blocking) states, and others
offering, in effect, an unlimited number of transmission
levels. Respondents were asked to rate the importance of
an almost instantaneous tint change to end-users.
Respondents whose companies serve the residential market
were asked to assess the attitude of residential window
customers, while those serving the commercial market
were asked to assess the commercial window market.
As the data in Table 3 demonstrate, the perceived
importance of an almost instantaneous tint change is far
greater for the residential market than it is for the
commercial market. In fact, 63.4% of those serving the
residential market believe that an almost instantaneous tint
change will be “very important” or “somewhat important”
to end-users. Comparatively, 35.2% of those serving the
commercial market believe commercial developers will
feel that an almost instantaneous tint change is “very
important” or “somewhat important.” Notably, the “top
box” (“very important”) scores for this measure show
somewhat dramatic differences in opinion. While 36.6% of
respondents who serve the residential market claim that
residential homeowners believe that an almost
instantaneous tint change will be “very important”, just
16.6% of those whose companies serve the commercial
market believe that commercial developers will feel this
way. [1]

Table 3. Importance of a Tint Change That is Almost
Instantaneous (Residential vs. Commercial End-Users)
Category Residential Commercial
Very Important 36.6% 16.6%
Somewhat Important 26.8% 18.6%
Somewhat Unimportant 29.4% 44.3%
Very Unimportant 7.2% 15.3%
Unsure/Don’t know 0.0% 5.2%
Manufacturers’ Interest in Offering Switchable Glass
Products
Window manufacturers’ interest in offering switchable
glass products to either residential or commercial markets
is fairly strong. Respondents whose companies offer
window products to the residential market were asked to
rate their firm’s interest in offering switchable glass
products to that market over the next three years.
Impressively, 31.0% said their company would be “very
interested”, while 51.1% said their company will be “very
interested” or “somewhat interested.” Just 9.6% of this
group claimed their company will be “very disinterested.”
Among those individuals whose companies serve the
commercial market, 29.0% reported that their company
will be “very interested” to offer switchable glass products
to commercial developers over the next three years. Fully
57.0% said their company will be “very interested” or
“somewhat interested”, while 12.4% of this group said
their company will be “very disinterested.” [1]
Price Sensitivity
A perception exists that switchable glass for windows is a
high-priced technology. Yet, interest levels are highly
sensitive to incremental manufacturing costs. The study
found that a firm’s likelihood of offering switchable glass
technology increases as the incremental cost needed to
produce the technology decreases. Hence, one can
conclude that a classic downward sloping demand curve
exists for switchable glass technology, with the slope of
that curve reflecting price elasticity. Using a survey
technique known as “laddering,” respondents were asked
to indicate the likelihood of their company offering
switchable glass windows if the incremental
manufacturing cost (per square foot) were in various
ranges. Question presentation began with the highest price
given first. For respondents who claimed their company
would offer switchable glass windows at that incremental
price, it was assumed that the company also would offer
windows with switchable glass at lower incremental prices
as well. For those who would not offer switchable glass at
the highest price, the next highest price was asked and the
process continued. Cumulative “likelihood” totals are








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