Windows of the future

We spend millions of dollars every year to heat our homes and businesses. That is why it is so important to understand the role that windows play in how buildings use energy. In older homes, windows are often one of the largest sources of heat loss in winter due to their low insulating ability and high air leakage rates. Windows are also generally the major source of unwanted heat gain in the summer. As a result, windows are typically net energy losers, and can be responsible for 25 to 50 percent of the energy used to heat and cool homes. However, improved windows, combined with proper consideration of their placement and other details, can result in windows that provide a net energy gain.

Windows Windows were once little more than holes cut in walls to let light and air into rooms. Today they bring beauty and light, warmth and cooling breezes into homes while providing a sense of openness and space. On the down side, windows can also let in the winter chill or the summer heat. They can make a home drafty, uncomfortable, and energy inefficient. Fortunately, modern windows make the most of the benefits of windows while minimizing the drawbacks. Single-pane glass has been replaced by multi-panes separated by insulating materials. Frames are made of new, more energy efficient materials. Even the glass itself has been coated to reflect heat. Windows of the future New technologies are producing increasingly energy efficient windows. Already on the market are “super-windows”, boasting triple layer designs, with two low-E coatings and spaces filled with mixtures of argon or krypton gases. A new generation of windows, however, is being called “smart windows” because they adapt to changing conditions. A few “smart windows” are already commercially available, and others are being developed in research labs. These windows change properties - like their shading coefficients and visible transmittances - in response to either an electric charge or an environmental signal such as a change in light level. Depending on the mechanism that initiates the change in the window, these “switchable glazings” fall into four categories: electrochromic, liquid crystal, thermochromic, and photochromic. By GlassOnWeb editorial staff Photochromic Windows: See The Difference Sunlight Reactive Thermo Windows are the ultimate “smart” window.  They are perfect for any application, architectural or residential. Photochromic glass automatically changes from a clear glass to a tinted glass with the rays of the sun.  There is no electricity or knobs required.  As the sun sets, the glass will lighten up returning to it’s clear state.  This will continue each time the sun is shining on the glass without fatigue unlike film tints and coatings.  It also costs a fraction of the price of other smart windows currently available on the market. Other glass reflects the harmful ultra violet rays that go back into the Earth’s ozone and are a great contributor to the global warming problem.  Photochromic glass absorbs the UV rays helping to protect our planet.  In doing this, it reduces the heat transferring into the building and reduces energy consumption and air conditioning costs. In architectural applications, the automatically tinting glass will create privacy on sunny bright days.  It will also protect expensive office furnishings with it’s 100% UV protection and stop the glare on computer screens and projectors.  It can be made in a variety of colours making each application unique. In residential applications, homeowners will be able to enjoy the sight out of their windows, protect their furnishings, and save on their energy costs all without curtains or blinds. With Sunlight Reactive Thermo windows, as the glass changes from light to dark with the sunlight, you can see the difference. For more information Please visit our website at:www.photochromicwindows.com By Christopher Crawford