Yeah, I ran into the same wall trying to get a straight answer about power loss with these smart windows. The sales folks kept talking up the “fail-safe” but couldn’t really show me any real-world proof. I ended up going with SageGlass for my sunroom, and like you mentioned, they were upfront about needing backup power if you want to guarantee a certain tint when things go dark. I tossed a UPS in the closet just to cover my bases—didn’t want to wake up sweating because the glass flipped clear at noon during a summer outage.
From what I’ve seen, both View and SageGlass need power to switch tints, but once they’re set, they’ll hold that state if you lose power (unless you’re mid-transition, which is kind of a weird edge case). The “default tint” thing with View sounds nice on paper, but unless you’ve got some kind of battery backup or generator, I wouldn’t bet on it always working out the way you want. Seems like more marketing than reality.
Honestly, it’s one of those things where the tech is cool until you hit one of those rare-but-annoying situations. I still keep blackout curtains around just in case. Not as slick as the smart glass, but at least they don’t care if the grid goes down.
One other thing: installation was a bit more involved than I expected—needed an electrician to wire up the low-voltage stuff and hook in the UPS. If your house is older or doesn’t have easy access to run new lines, factor that into your planning.
All in all, love the convenience when it works, but yeah... having a manual workaround is still smart.
The power loss thing is definitely one of those “fine print” issues that doesn’t get enough attention. I ended up going with View last year for my office remodel, mostly because the installer had more experience with them in my area. Here’s how I handled the backup power bit, since I ran into a lot of the same marketing fluff you mentioned.
First off, if you want to guarantee a certain tint during an outage, you really do need some kind of UPS or small battery backup on the controller. The glass itself won’t change state without power, but if it loses juice mid-transition, it can get stuck in a weird in-between shade. That only happened to me once during a thunderstorm—half the glass was dark, half was light, and it stayed that way until power came back and the controller finished its cycle. Not a huge deal, but definitely not what they promise in the brochures.
As far as installation goes: running new low-voltage lines was more involved than I expected. My house is from the 60s with plaster walls, so fishing wires took longer than planned. If anyone else is thinking about DIYing this, here’s what worked for me:
1. Map out your wire runs before anything else—measure twice, cut once.
2. Use flexible fish tape and go through attic or basement when possible; avoids tearing up walls.
3. For the UPS, I went with a basic APC model tucked inside a utility closet near where all my window controllers terminate.
4. Label every wire and take photos before closing up drywall... saved me later when troubleshooting.
I still keep blackout curtains handy too—old habits die hard. Honestly, for anyone who’s not comfortable with electrical work or old house quirks, budgeting for a pro electrician is smart money.
One thing I wish I’d known: if you’re planning on automating these windows with smart home stuff (like Home Assistant or whatever), double-check compatibility up front. Not all brands play nice out of the box.
The tech’s awesome when it works, but yeah... nothing wrong with having some old-fashioned backup like curtains or shades just in case things go sideways.
The UPS backup is a good call. I had a similar situation with my SageGlass install—power flickered during a storm and left one panel in this muddled gray state for two days. I agree, it’s not exactly in the sales pitch. The wiring was a hassle in my place too (old brick, no attic access), so I ended up hiring an electrician after trying to DIY one window and realizing I was out of my depth. For anyone considering smart integration, I ran into headaches getting it to talk to my Lutron system; had to use a third-party bridge. Honestly, I still use blinds sometimes just out of habit... tech is great, but old-school backups save the day when things go sideways.
Honestly, I still use blinds sometimes just out of habit... tech is great, but old-school backups save the day when things go sideways.
Totally get that. I put in View a year ago and while it’s slick, I still keep a set of blackout curtains handy. Had a software update brick the controls for half a day—felt pretty dumb standing there waving at my window hoping it’d tint. Sometimes low-tech just works better, you know?
- Had the same debate with myself after moving into a place with massive south-facing windows.
- Looked into both View and SageGlass—leaned towards SageGlass but ended up holding off (budget got in the way).
- One thing I noticed: friends with View said the auto-tint is awesome... until their Wi-Fi hiccups. Then it's just stuck, which can be super annoying midday.
- I’m a bit of a tinkerer, so I tried setting up a Raspberry Pi to act as a backup controller for smart stuff, but honestly, it’s more work than I expected.
- Still have my old roller shades mounted. Not pretty, but they’ve saved me during power outages or when the smart stuff gets fussy.
- Kind of wild how we’re relying on software updates for something as basic as blocking sunlight now. Part of me misses just pulling a cord...
- Anyone else get frustrated by having to troubleshoot windows? Feels like overkill sometimes, even if the tech is cool.
I totally get where you’re coming from. I’ve got a similar setup—big south-facing windows that basically turn my living room into a greenhouse from March through September. I looked into both View and SageGlass too, but man, the sticker shock is real. The tech is cool, but when you realize you might need to reboot your window just to watch TV without glare, it feels... a little much.
I tried automating my shades with a cheap Zigbee setup and ended up spending way too many weekends on YouTube trying to troubleshoot why they’d randomly open at 3am. Turns out, sometimes the “dumb” stuff just works better. My old blackout curtains are ugly as sin, but at least they don’t care if the Wi-Fi is down.
The auto-tint thing is neat in theory, but I’ve heard about the same Wi-Fi issues from a friend who went all-in with View. She said it’s awesome when it works, but if her router acts up, she’s basically stuck in a cave or a fishbowl until things reset. And yeah, software updates for windows? Never thought I’d have to check patch notes just to block the sun.
I do miss the days of just yanking a cord and being done with it. There’s something to be said for low-tech solutions—at least you know what you’re getting. Maybe I’m just getting old, but troubleshooting my windows isn’t really what I had in mind when I thought about “smart home upgrades.”
Anyway, for now, I’m sticking with my Frankenstein combo of manual shades and a couple of smart plugs that mostly work... unless they don’t. If the tech ever gets more reliable (and cheaper), maybe I’ll give it another shot. Until then, I’ll keep pulling the cord and grumbling about it like everyone else.
- Seen a lot of folks get excited about View and SageGlass, but honestly, I’m still not convinced the tech is ready for prime time.
- Price tag is wild—most people could redo their entire window setup (frames and all) for less.
- Had a client last year who went all-in on smart glass for their sunroom. Looked slick... until the system glitched during a heat wave and wouldn’t tint. Ended up taping cardboard to the glass for a week.
- The Wi-Fi dependency is a real thing. If your home network hiccups, you’re either living in a cave or roasting like a tomato.
- Manual shades aren’t glamorous, but they’re reliable. Cords don’t need firmware updates or troubleshooting at 2am.
- I get the appeal of “set it and forget it,” but right now, you’re trading one set of hassles for another—just more expensive ones.
- If you can live with the occasional ugly blackout curtain, you might be saving yourself a lot of headaches (and cash).
- Maybe in five years this stuff will be seamless, but for now? I’d keep patch notes out of my sun control routine.
Yeah, I’m with you on this. The idea is cool, but I just can’t get past the price and the potential headaches. My neighbor had some kind of smart glass in their addition—looked awesome until a power surge knocked it out for two days. Meanwhile, my old-school blinds just keep chugging along. Maybe one day, but not rushing into it now.
That’s the thing—technology is cool until it leaves you in the dark, literally. I checked out both View and SageGlass when I was redoing my living room last year. The promise of windows that tint themselves sounded futuristic, but I just kept coming back to two things: reliability and cost.
I’ve got a 70s ranch with big south-facing windows, so heat gain is a real issue. I figured smart glass could help, but after talking to a couple of local installers, the price tag gave me sticker shock. Not just the upfront install, but also the wiring and the “what if” scenarios—like your neighbor’s power surge story. One guy even joked that if my breaker tripped during a heatwave, I’d be stuck roasting behind what’s basically clear glass.
Honestly, my old cellular shades aren’t glamorous, but they work every day. No app updates or weird glitches. Sure, they don’t auto-tint, but at least I’m not worried about them failing during a storm.
The other angle for me is energy savings. Everyone talks about how much you’ll save with smart glass, but when I ran the numbers (maybe too many spreadsheets...), it was gonna take decades to break even compared to decent blinds and some well-placed trees outside.
I want to believe in this tech—I really do. Maybe if prices come down and they figure out a battery backup or something more robust for outages? Until then, I’m sticking with what works and keeping an eye on where this stuff goes next.
You’re not alone in thinking the numbers don’t quite add up yet. I did a similar analysis for my place (built in ’82, lots of west-facing glass) and came to almost the same conclusion—by the time the “payback” happens, I’ll probably be ready to replace the windows anyway. The tech is impressive, but reliability is still a sticking point for me too. I’d love to see a version with a simple manual override or at least a passive default mode for outages. For now, I’m still using layered cellular shades and some reflective film... not fancy, but no surprises when the power blips.