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Actively Operable Thermoresponsive Smart Windows for Reducing Energy Consumption
Sung Kyung Kang1, Dong Hae Ho2, Chang Hwan Lee1
1Department of Organic Materials and Fiber Engineering, Soongsil University, Seoul 156-743, Republic of Korea.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|July 4, 2020
Summary
Doubly responsive smart windows combine thermoresponsive hydrogels and graphene heaters to control light and reduce building energy use. This technology offers tunable transparency for significant savings on heating, cooling, and lighting.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Energy Conservation
- Building Technology
Background:
- Finite energy resources necessitate efficient usage to prevent blackouts.
- Smart windows modulate solar thermal energy, offering a solution to the energy crisis by reducing HVAC loads.
- Current smart window technologies require further development for enhanced energy management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate novel doubly responsive smart windows for efficient energy resource management.
- To develop a smart window system combining thermoresponsive hydrogels and graphene-based heaters.
- To actively control passive smart window functionalities for optimized building energy performance.
Main Methods:
- Integration of lower critical solution temperature (LCST) thermoresponsive polymer hydrogels.
- Incorporation of graphene-based flexible heaters for electrical actuation.
- Development of a hybrid system for active control of a passive thermoresponsive smart window.
Main Results:
- Achieved highly tunable transparency (>90%) with rapid switching between high transmission and complete light blockage.
- Demonstrated effective reduction in indoor temperature rise under solar irradiation using mockup house windows.
- Validated the dual thermal and electrical responsiveness of the developed smart window system.
Conclusions:
- The developed doubly responsive smart windows offer an efficient method for managing solar energy transmission.
- This technology presents a significant opportunity for cost savings in building heating, cooling, and lighting.
- Active light control via smart windows is a promising strategy for sustainable building energy management.
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