Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory are working on “dynamic windows” that change shadings so as to better regulate energy and efficiency.
Buildings consume 40 percent of the nearly 100 quadrillion Btus (quads) of energy the United States consumes annually. Conventional clear windows account for about one-tenth of the buildings’ share of that energy load, or four quads. That’s because they allow precious heat to leak out on chilly days or allow the incoming sun to warm a room to uncomfortable levels, and building’s climate system struggles to adjust.
Using these high-insulating color-changing” widows could save 5% of the nation’s total energy, they estimate.