To make buildings more energy efficient, researchers from UHasselt, imec, TNO are working with glass and window manufacturer Group Ceyssens on new innovative dynamic windows. Thanks to a thermochromic pigment, the windows adapt to seasonal changes, providing thermal insulation in winter and blocking solar heat in summer. In this way, the building requires less cooling and heating, and energy consumption is reduced.
Buildings account for about a third of global annual energy consumption and associated CO2 emissions. With rising temperatures and increasing heat stress, especially in regions like Belgium and the Netherlands, energy consumption will increase significantly due to the increasing use of air conditioners. The Belgian-Dutch Interreg research project U-SAVE aims to address these challenges by developing and demonstrating dynamic glazing.
Smart windows
The smart windows feature a thermochromic pigment that becomes transparent to infrared radiation at low temperatures (figure left in opening picture), allowing solar heat to pass through. At high temperatures (figure right in opening photo), the pigment blocks infrared radiation through a structural change, which in turn reduces heat transfer.
Greener sustainable world
The smart glazing will be installed and tested in office buildings at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen, the Netherlands. There, research will also be conducted into the social acceptance of the windows and the impact of the innovative technology on health and indoor climate. "By developing smart window technology that adapts to seasonal changes, we aim not only to reduce CO2 emissions, but also to create a healthier and more comfortable indoor climate. Together, we are building a greener and more sustainable world in this way," say the researchers.
By developing smart window technology that adapts to seasonal changes, we aim to not only reduce CO2 emissions, but also create a healthier and more comfortable indoor environmentResearchers at the U-SAVE project
Energy consumption must be reduced
U-SAVE is an Interreg Flanders-Netherlands project that can count on support from European, regional, and provincial funding. Limburg's deputy for Economy, Tom Vandeput: "The cheapest and cleanest energy is the one we don't consume. Especially in industry and in our buildings, energy consumption has to be reduced significantly.`
Huge gains
He continues, "As windows account for 30-40% of total energy consumption and 60% of cooling demand in buildings, there are still huge gains to be made there. U-SAVE is helping us take an important step in this with smart windows that simultaneously save energy, increase comfort and provide new growth opportunities for our manufacturing and construction companies. This is how we directly link sustainability to economic progress. This is innovation that propels us all forward."
Source and opening photo: imec
