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Smart windows could be the next big thing in renewable heating
- Smart windows can help to control energy transfer without compromising on transparency and daylight. The majority of windows on the market are electrochromic, requiring electricity to function. This makes them difficult to use in remote locations without consistent access to electricity and users need to install an alternative like solar panels to make the windows carbon neutral. To overcome these limitations, researchers have developed thermochromic windows. These windows have the potential to be as efficient as electrochromic windows in blocking infrared; they can progressively tint darker as outside temperatures rise, which means you can have more transparent windows than those on/off EC products.
- The vanadium dioxide layers in today’s thermochromic glass reflect infrared light fully only at around 67°C, which is much hotter than even the all-time highest temperature in the world. Researchers are developing coatings to improve the glass efficiency. The University of Exeter’s Environment and Sustainability Institute has been testing different coatings for thermochromic windows, identifying the one that can effectively reduce infrared light at more realistic outside temperatures. The research includes enabling windows to work as an insulator when temperatures are low, store energy, and to be useful in cold climates.
- Smart windows should bring benefits in terms of carbon reduction and energy efficiency. Emissions from buildings released by air conditioning, heating, and ventilation systems can be reduced by 60 to 70% and heat loss from rooms is reduced by approx 40%. Windows currently on the market such as electrochromic windows are projected to increase by 60% by 2028. Smart windows could also be used in airplanes and cars.
- EC windows operate via electricity, thereby causing inconvenience in remote locations and the grid’s absence. With the right research success and policy support, the next-generation smart windows could bring significant improvements to carbon emissions of buildings. In summary, it is difficult to predict when the thermochromic products will come to the market, but in 5-10 years the research may bring smart windows to colder countries in the daytime and night. This may reduce the number of radiators from 5 to 2 in apartments.
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