Transparent planar solar absorber for winter thermal management

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Building Physics

Background:

• Indoor heating significantly contributes to building energy consumption in cold climates.
• Transparent solar absorber coatings are crucial for reducing winter heating energy demands and costs.
• Nanophotonic structures are actively researched for transparent solar absorbers, but planar multilayer structures are underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the performance of planar multilayer thin films for transparent solar absorber window coatings.
• To explore the use of low-cost materials in designing these coatings.
• To evaluate their potential for winter thermal management in buildings.

Main Methods:

• Investigated planar multilayer thin film structures.
• Utilized low-cost materials for coating design.
• Performed simulations to predict performance metrics.

Main Results:

• Proposed two novel planar multilayer designs for transparent solar absorber window coatings.
• Simulation results indicate potential for surface temperature increases of 27 K and 25 K.
• Achieved mean visible transmittance exceeding 50% with these designs.

Conclusions:

• Planar multilayer structures show significant promise for developing effective transparent solar absorber window coatings.
• These coatings can contribute to reduced energy consumption and fuel costs for winter heating.
• The proposed designs offer a viable solution for winter thermal management in buildings.