Make Smart Windows Even Smarter By controlling Both Lighting And Heat Levels

By -

Make Smart Windows Even Smarter By controlling Both Lighting And Heat Levels

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have produced a new material to make smart windows even smarter. The material is a thin coating of nanocrystals embedded in glass that can be selectively controlled to block visible light, heat-producing near-infrared (NIR) light, or both, by applying a small electrical charge to it.

Unlike existing technologies, the coating provides selective control over visible light and heat-producing near-infrared (NIR) light, so windows can maximize both energy savings and occupant comfort in a wide range of climates.

One of the materials, indium tin oxide (ITO) -- a component in LCD and touchscreens -- is extremely conductive. When electricity passes through it, it allows the material to absorb heat energy from NIR. ITO nanocrystals were embedded in glass made from niobium oxide. The niobium ions in it are used in superconductive materials, and when combined with certain compounds can detect infrared light. Both ITO and niobium oxide are electrochromic, which means they change colour when a current is passed through them -- niobium oxide will darken when exposed to a current, for instance. Electrochromic materials are used for tinting the windows of some cars, and in this case would filter the amount of heat and light coming through the windows.

Nanocrystals of indium tin oxide (blue) embedded in a glassy matrix of niobium oxide (green)

The two effects together produce a synergistic interaction which enhances the strength of the electrochromic effect and allows for bright well lit environments without unwanted heat. The same glass with a larger electric jolt can be switched to "dark mode," blocking both light and thermal gain. The glass is fully transparent when no charge is applied.

This ability to independently control NIR light could have huge implications for households and businesses, considering how steep annual energy bills can be.

“In the US, we spend about a quarter of our total energy on lighting, heating and cooling our buildings,” says Delia Milliron, a chemist at Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry and leader of the research. “When used as a window coating, our new material can have a major impact on building energy efficiency. From a materials-design perspective, we’ve shown that you can combine very dissimilar materials to create new properties that are not accessible in a homogeneous single phase material, either amorphous or crystalline, by taking nanocrystals and putting them in glass.”
.
The coating can simply be sprayed straight on to existing glass.

RELATED VIDEO:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sapphire Displays by Apple

By -
Image
The electronics giant is getting ready for massive production of sapphire displays.  Speculation has been running rampant about Apple's plans for mobile devices with a sapphire screen and it is finally appear to be firming up on Thursday. Apple uses sapphire for the ID fingerprint sensor in the iPhone 5S The iPhone maker recently placed a large order with GT Advanced Technologies for furnaces and chambers used in making sapphire displays. According to 9to5Mac, GT Advanced has already received 518 furnace and chamber systems, which would let it build 103 million to 116 million 5-inch displays per year. (Another 420 machines are still on order, which would nearly double that production output.) Moreover, GT Advanced also has ordered Intego Sirius Sapphire Display Inspection Tool components, which would work to make sure that the displays meet high-quality standards. Apple late last year signed a contract with GT Advanced to produce sapphire-based materials at A
Read more

Military Standard Rugged Android 4.1 Phone

By -
Image
Military Standard Rugged Android 4.1 Phone4.3 Inch Screen, Waterproof, Shockproof, Dustproof, 8MP Camera  Android 4.1 military standard rugged mobile phone, packed with great features such as a 1GHz processor, 4.3 inch touch screen, dual SIM, IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating, 8MP camera and much more. Built like a tank wtih MIL-STD-810G standard, this phone is virtually indestructible.  If you are looking for a phone which is built to survive, then look no further. The “Rhino” rugged Android phone complies with the latest military standard (MIL-STD-810G) and is IP67 water- and dustproof. Unlike other rugged phones, the “Rhino” is also a Smartphone, running on Android 4.1 and equipped with the latest hardware. It will easily run several apps at the same time without losing any of its processing speed, all thanks to its 1GHz built-in CPU. Plus, you won’t have to walk around with two phones in your pockets anymore since the “Rhino” comes with Dual SIM slots.  Rated
Read more

New Asus Padfone Infinity A86 Leaked With Snapdragon 800 In Black And White

By -
Image
New Asus Padfone Infinity A86 Leaked With Snapdragon 800 In Black And White Asus is planning to release a new version of the PadFone Infinity which will include a Snapdragon 800 processor. Today we’ve got our first look at the refreshed handset thanks to ePrice, which posted a handful of leaked photos showing off the upcoming device. The original PadFone Infinity, which Asus unveiled earlier this year at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, packed a Snapdragon 600 CPU and was listed under the model number A80. According to ePrice, the refreshed A86 had a similar design as the Padfone 2, but it came with an upgraded hardware including a Snapdragon 600 processor and full HD display. Now images Padfone Infinity A86 has surfaced that is expected to pack a Snapdragon 800 processor. As you can see in the leaked images, the phone would be completely white, unlike the current Padfone Infinity smartphone that comes in black color. On the specification front, the new Padfone Infinity A
Read more