This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will develop "Low Cost Smart Window Film" that reduces building energy consumption by dynamically optimizing solar gain. Low cost roll to roll processing techniques will be used to create unique electrochromic layers. The novel electrochromic layers will be scaled-up and used to construct insulated glass windows. Systematic characterization of the electrochromic film stability to UV and high temperature exposure will be evaluated and their long term reliability performance will be improved to meet the requirements. Upon successful completion of the project, the electrochromic windows expect to achieve enhanced solar modulation at fast switching speeds and manufactured at 2-3x lower cost than the currently available smart windows.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project pertains to residential and commercial buildings represent a prime opportunity to improve energy efficiency and sustainability worldwide. In the United States lighting and thermal management within buildings account for 20% of yearly energy consumption. The economic and environmental benefits of using electrochromic windows are clear: reducing one quad of energy use would yield an average savings of $10.6 billion, while eliminating about 21.5 gigawatts of power produced by fossil fuels and saving nearly 59 million metric tons of CO2 emissions. It is estimated that the use electrochromic windows in building can achieve a 50% reduction in peak energy demand and a 30% reduction in overall energy use. Still, current electrochromic windows in the market have not reached their market potential due to their high cost. Novel electrochromic windows are based on an innovative material system that increases performance while reducing production cost. Wide scale adoption of this technology will enhance market penetration for dynamic windows.
