Printing smart windows for energy efficient buildings

AI Quick Summary

Smart windows are very appealing from environmental and economical points of view as they offer great prospects for future zero-energy performance buildings. With dynamical control of the amount of solar heat and lighting input, reduced cooling and heating loads result in energy savings. We provide technology for low-cost and high speed production of extreme-high resolution electrodes on smart windows. Energy efficiency in the built environment has a huge opportunity for decreasing CO2, but recent European developments [https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-efficiency/energy-efficient-buildings_en] also highlight its importance. Energy-efficient glazing stands out as one of the most interesting possibilities. The glazing often allows huge energy flows to enter or exit a building, which means that energy-consuming cooling or heating must be used to create a comfortable indoor environment. If a window allow tunable transmittance of solar energy and visible light, energy efficiency can be reached. The fabrication of such smart windows are very appealing from environmental and economical points of view as they offer great prospects for future zero-energy performance buildings. With dynamical control of the amount of solar heat and lighting input, reduced cooling and heating loads result in energy savings. The control of the visible and near-infrared (NIR) regions of the solar spectrum is a key target for the development of the next generation of smart windows. Solar energy from the invisible solar spectrum (ultraviolet (UV) and NIR regions) encompasses about 60% of the whole solar spectrum, of which 50% belongs to the NIR region.Currently, however, the biggest market hamper is high production cost and difficulties in placing high resolution (nanometer size) electrodes/polarizing filters in large areas. . There is a need of a highly transparent submicron level printing of electrodes in high speed on large area, but currently no reasonable solution exists to cover it. Current status and previous activities​We provide technology for low-cost and high speed production of extreme-high resolution printed electronics. Our novel technology allows fabrication of 100 nm - 2 µm linewidth wires and electrodes with low resistivity. This allows quick and cost-efficient production of electrodes which enables the production of optical filters and electrodes for smart windows. Our technology introduces low cost – extreme-high resolution printing, which is currently unavailable on the market.Resources needed​Work packages WP1: Company establishment1. Our aim is to establish a company with new technology solutions, which supplies low cost printed optical filters and circuits for businesses. WP2: Product development1. Improve transmission properties 2. Upscale process to larger areas3. Prototype development - How can the Energy Lab help you?​Our main challenges are based on optimization of the technology by improving printing speed, upscaling and transmission. The fund received from the Innovation booster would allow us to further work on the process development of the project

Project Idea Metadata

• Project Idea Name: Printing smart windows for energy efficient buildings
• Date: 3/8/2023 10:22:34 PM
• Administrators:
  • Barbara Horvath

Project Idea Description

Energy efficiency in the built environment has a huge opportunity for decreasing CO2, but recent European developments [https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-efficiency/energy-efficient-buildings_en] also highlight its importance. Energy-efficient glazing stands out as one of the most interesting possibilities. The glazing often allows huge energy flows to enter or exit a building, which means that energy-consuming cooling or heating must be used to create a comfortable indoor environment. If a window allow tunable transmittance of solar energy and visible light, energy efficiency can be reached.

The fabrication of such smart windows are very appealing from environmental and economical points of view as they offer great prospects for future zero-energy performance buildings. With dynamical control of the amount of solar heat and lighting input, reduced cooling and heating loads result in energy savings. The control of the visible and near-infrared (NIR) regions of the solar spectrum is a key target for the development of the next generation of smart windows. Solar energy from the invisible solar spectrum (ultraviolet (UV) and NIR regions) encompasses about 60% of the whole solar spectrum, of which 50% belongs to the NIR region.

Currently, however, the biggest market hamper is high production cost and difficulties in placing high resolution (nanometer size) electrodes/polarizing filters in large areas. . There is a need of a highly transparent submicron level printing of electrodes in high speed on large area, but currently no reasonable solution exists to cover it.

Current status and previous activities​

We provide technology for low-cost and high speed production of extreme-high resolution printed electronics. Our novel technology allows fabrication of 100 nm - 2 µm linewidth wires and electrodes with low resistivity. This allows quick and cost-efficient production of electrodes which enables the production of optical filters and electrodes for smart windows. Our technology introduces low cost – extreme-high resolution printing, which is currently unavailable on the market.

Resources needed​

Work packages

WP1: Company establishment

1. Our aim is to establish a company with new technology solutions, which supplies low cost printed optical filters and circuits for businesses.

WP2: Product development

1. Improve transmission properties

2. Upscale process to larger areas

3. Prototype development

- How can the Energy Lab help you?​

Our main challenges are based on optimization of the technology by improving printing speed, upscaling and transmission. The fund received from the Innovation booster would allow us to further work on the process development of the project

Smart windows are very appealing from environmental and economical points of view as they offer great prospects for future zero-energy performance buildings. With dynamical control of the amount of solar heat and lighting input, reduced cooling and heating loads result in energy savings.

We provide technology for low-cost and high speed production of extreme-high resolution electrodes on smart windows.