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Multilayered optofluidics for sustainable buildings
Raphael Kay1,2,3, J Alstan Jakubiec3,4, Charlie Katrycz1
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E4, Canada.
Summary
A novel optofluidic building facade dynamically controls light and heat. This adaptive technology significantly reduces energy consumption for indoor climate control, promoting global sustainability.
Area of Science:
- Building science
- Materials science
- Sustainable energy
Background:
- Indoor climate control is highly energy-intensive, contributing significantly to global energy footprints.
- Developing energy-efficient building facades is crucial for achieving global sustainability goals.
- Existing technologies lack the versatility for comprehensive climate control through optical reconfiguration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a building facade capable of versatile, independent climate control via optical reconfigurations.
- To reduce the energy footprint associated with indoor climate control in buildings.
- To create a scalable platform for adaptive building climate management.
Main Methods:
- Designed a multilayered millifluidic interface inspired by biological adaptive skins.
- Digitally controlled the flow of aqueous solutions within milliscale channels.
- Demonstrated independent modulation of light intensity, near-infrared absorption, and light scattering.
Main Results:
- Achieved 95% modulation of total transmitted light intensity (250–2,500 nm).
- Demonstrated 70% modulation of near-infrared-selective absorption (740–2,500 nm).
- Modeled annual energy reductions exceeding 43% compared to existing technologies.
Conclusions:
- The optofluidic platform offers combinatorial optical tunability for optimizing solar radiation within buildings.
- This technology enables configurable control over light amount, wavelength, and position over time.
- The scalable optofluidic system presents a general solution for adaptive building climate control.
