Windows are one of those building elements that can be significantly improved in today’s technologically advanced times. This is especially visible in the regular reports in this segment on solutions that increase their usability in a passive way. An example of this is this new smart window coating.
Up to three times lower heating and air conditioning bills – that’s what the new intelligent window coating can do
Windows only seemingly are the biggest culprits behind heat loss in homes. The high-end ones can be cleverly used to provide both light and warmth (even in winter). However, it can be taken to an even higher level, for example by using special coatings that will react according to the given weather conditions. One of them has just been developed by scientists from Oxford University (the publication is available in the journal ACS Photonics), providing another way to increase the efficiency of windows in terms of trapping heat inside during the heating season and keeping it cool by reflecting solar transformations when temperatures rise. All this without changing the amount of visible light transmitted.
Apparently, this coating is able to reduce heating and cooling costs by up to a third, which in the era of rising prices on the gas and energy market seems even beneficial. The key to this new technology is a special material that changes its character in response to heat. In cold weather, the material absorbs infrared rays from the sun’s rays and emits them into the room as heat.
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However, it can be switched to reflecting the solar heat back to the outside, thanks to small heaters built into the shell that activate this phase-change material to varying degrees. Thus, the coating can be adjusted on demand to emit or reflect heat to varying degrees.
The team says this new design should be relatively simple and inexpensive to implement, but traditionally we know nothing about mass production.
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