eLstar Dynamics Launches the World’s First Commercial ELM Smart Glass Solution for Architectural Glazing, Harking in a New Era for Controlling Sunlight Without Compromising Design
Explore eLstar's Latest Smart Glass Innovations at Glasstec in Düsseldorf in Hall 10, Stand A12
DUSSELDORF, Germany, October 19, 2026--Today at Glasstec 2026, eLstar Dynamics announced the commercial availability of its first Electrophoretic Light Modulation (ELM) Platform. Purpose-built specifically for flat glazing applications including skylights, atriums, canopies, roof lights, and overhead glass structures, the platform enables dynamic privacy, light, and thermal management to maximize occupant comfort while preserving aesthetics.
Architects have always faced a difficult compromise: maximizing natural daylight or controlling heat and glare. Traditional approaches often required permanent tinting, frit patterns, blinds, louvers, or other shading systems that reduced design flexibility. Other smart glass technologies have forced trade-offs in color neutrality, optical clarity, transparency, darkness, and/or price. ELM technology breaks those compromises whilst continuing to deliver on the main promise of dynamically adapting to changing environmental conditions throughout the day.
Today's announcement represents the culmination of over seven years of development of a technology platform that has been engineered specifically for the demands of the architectural market. Architects can design brighter and more inspiring spaces. Glass processors gain access to a differentiated high-value product category. Developers and building owners can improve occupant comfort while supporting sustainability goals. "This launch is a defining milestone for eLstar and for the architectural glazing industry," says Romaric Massard, CTO of eLstar Dynamics. "We set out to create a solution that allows buildings to respond intelligently to the sun without sacrificing the architectural vision. ELM gives designers a practical new tool to improve comfort, manage solar gain, and unlock more value from natural daylight. Today, we are ready to design this into the next generation of building projects."
Søren Peter Kristensen, Head of Facades in Ingholt Consult, says, "I see huge potential in the ELM technology, as atrium and courtyard overhead glazing is needed to bring natural daylight deep into buildings. With the technology comes the opportunity to create beautiful spaces with controlled climate zones, where the ELM contributes to lowering heat gain and energy consumption for cooling loads, while preserving the natural color rendering – which I believe previously has been a deal breaker as seen with the architects we work with. The present challenges with overheating and glare in atriums is hard to solve with existing solutions, where solar control coatings do not allow for much daylight and external shading solutions must be replaced within few years or have very high maintenance costs. ELM technology allows us to retain the openness and visual properties of clear glass, while actively managing comfort. It outperforms other smart glass technologies, as from the specs I've seen, so I can't wait to use eLstar Dynamics's ELM technology in the first project."