The importance of windows in homes and other buildings is undeniable. While windows offer an aesthetic appeal, they are not just pretty decorations for buildings. The openings serve various purposes, including enabling ventilation, proper lighting, and regulating temperature.
Today, technology has completely transformed every facet of human life, and windows are not an exception. If you are a homeowner and have been following current home innovations, you most likely already have energy-efficient windows installed. However, if your home is a bit old, you are probably still using traditional windows. These windows are inefficient and drastically increase your energy bills.
If your home was built recently but you still have to contend with astronomical energy bills, you were likely duped by the building company. Chances are that your home was installed with cheap, poor-quality windows. The U.S. Department of Energy puts the annual expenditure related to windows at about 25 percent of the cooling and heating costs of the average American home.
5 Smart Window Technologies for the Future
Installing energy-saving windows is just the first step towards greener, smarter, and affordable window technologies of the future that make life simpler and save you money. Here are some smart upcoming window technologies you should also check:
1. Vacuum Insulating Glazing (VIG)
Vacuum insulating glazing technology has been creating a buzz in the construction industry for a while now. While this concept was developed decades ago, it’s only recently that the technology has been fully developed and adopted for commercial use.
The technology, which is still under research for further improvements, is highly promising and can achieve excellent performance requirements demanded by net-zero energy windows.
VIG panes offer high insulation of up to R = 14, and far out-perform standard triple glazing windows. A VIG window installation will prove useful in very hot and very cold environments.
2. Clear to Opaque and Back
Another promising window technology allows transformation of glasses from clear to opaque, and back to clear view with the touch of a button. These glasses are being developed for residential purposes to cut down on cooling costs during summer. The windows are also designed to offer both an open, transparent view, and total privacy any time.
The clear to opaque and back windows are tinted through electrochromic technology. The technology involves the use of electrical voltage, which turns the glass opaque as well as reverts it back to transparent.
The first versions of the window technology have been used for years to make tinted aeroplane windows. However, the transition times were long, and the opacity was not strong enough. New prototypes are being developed to improve on the previous model.
3. Solar Panel Windows
For a while now, researchers have been working to recreate solar panel technology for windows. Of course, solar panels utilize dark materials to trap and convert sunlight into electricity. However, can these panels use transparent materials to create energy?
This question has recently been answered, as researchers found a way to generate solar energy from clear panels using breakthrough technology. Researchers have developed a different kind of solar concentrator, known as transparent luminescent solar concentrator, which can be used on any clear surface.
While the technology is still in its initial stage, it has a very promising future with potential applications replacement windows, residential buildings, cars, and even smartphones. The technology helps to generate energy without altering the physical attributes of a material.
4. Bird-Friendly Window Panels
Transparent glasses severely affect birds all over the world. In the United States alone, up to a billion birds die each year as a result of colliding with glass. The number is not just staggering but also a huge threat to the existence of certain bird species, such as the Ruby-throated hummingbirds and the wood thrush.
Birds cannot perceive transparent glasses and, therefore, try to fly right through. To eliminate this problem would be to tint the glasses. However, tinted glasses obstruct the view and, hence, are not a suitable solution for windows.
The good news is that there is a new technology that offers a solution that could save millions of bird lives. The patented coating technology utilizes the ultraviolet spectrum to produce a barrier visible to birds but invisible to humans. This is a win-win scenario as the technology keeps windows transparent while also protecting birds.
5. Intuitive Thermochromic Windows
Thermochromic technology uses temperature changes rather than electricity to darken and clear panels. When it’s hot outside, the warm temperature reacts with the built-in thermochromic filter to tint the glass and block heat, light, and UV rays. When it is cold, the temperature has no effect on the filter, and the glass panel remains transparent.
The Low-E coating system also makes thermochromic windows very energy-efficient.
Technological advancements make life easier. Many of these emerging innovations are pretty costly, but only because they are in the trial phases. Further research is required to make them ready for commercial adoption.