Education  December 12, 2014

CU’s pane eases pain of energy loss

BOULDER — A research group from the physics department at the University of Colorado Boulder has invented a new type of smart-window technology designed to dramatically reduce energy loss.

The technology, still in early-stage development, reduces energy waste by allowing users to hit a button and modify the kinds of light allowed into the window, depending on outside temperature. The switch controls an electric current that shoots through nanoparticles held in a liquid-crystal composite within the window glass.

Smart window technologies have been around for years. But the CU team believes its window marks a major advancement because it can be easily controlled and doesn’t require high voltage to trigger, as other technologies do.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Solar Operations and Maintenance for Commercial Properties

One key qualification to consider when selecting a solar partner to install your system is whether they have an Operations and Maintenance (O&M) or service department. Since solar is a long-term asset with an expected lifecycle of 30 plus years, ongoing O&M should be considered up front. A trusted O&M partner will maximize your system’s energy output and therefor the return on your investment.

Dr. Qingkun Liu, a postdoctoral research associate at CU Boulder’s physics department who leads the smart-window research team, said that many people don’t notice that windows are a major source of energy loss.

“Traditional windows waste about 30 percent of the energy used on heating and cooling,” Liu said, “and that’s equivalent to about $300 to $500 for each house every year.”

The team has registered the patent for the technology and has won a $180,000 grant from the state’s Advanced Industries Accelerator Program. The team plans to use the grant to build a prototype.

Robert Renent, senior scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, said that the CU team’s technical approach is intriguing and comes at a time when major players, such as Corning, are developing their own products.

According to a report by Dallas-based MarketsandMarkets, a research and consulting firm, the smart-window market was worth $1.58 billion in 2013 and is expected to reach $5.81 billion by 2020 with an estimated annual growth rate of 20 percent from 2014 to 2020.

Currently, the industry has five types of smart windows that rely on several different technologies such as photochromics, which are materials that change color in response to radiant light, and thermochromics, which are compounds that change color when exposed to heat.

None of them is flexible enough to control the heat gain, and some require use of high voltages in their control mechanisms, Liu said.

Liu’s technology, on the other hand, is flexible and uses low voltages in the control mechanism.

“Our technology allows you to switch within 100 milliseconds,” Liu said. “It’s very tunable. You could choose how much infrared light or visible light you want to block.”

Renent said Liu’s technology is “absolutely novel.”

“I think people will believe there’s a market for it,” he said. “The only concern I have is that the technology is still expensive compared to traditional windows.”

According to Liu’s research, the traditional window on average costs $5 per square foot. His smart window is estimated to cost $15 per square foot.

Liu also found that the existing smart windows cost more than his, ranging from $20 to $100 per square foot.

“If people can save $300 to $500 every year on heating and cooling by using our smart window, they will recover the investment in about a year,” Liu said.

Plus, the materials they use – liquid crystal and a type of nanoparticle — may become cheaper in the future.

The technology already has attracted some potential investors.

Douglas Henston, a clean-technology entrepreneur, heard about Liu’s smart-window project from CU Boulder’s technology transfer office.

“I’m interested in their technology and wish to do some collaboration or formation of the company to commercialize it,” Henston said.

Henston said this technology seems to have a great value proposition.

“The most important element is to figure out what the value proposition is – in other words, what it does for the consumers,” he said. “I think this project has a good value proposition for the building market.

“However, it still remains to be seen whether the technology is cost-effective.”

BOULDER — A research group from the physics department at the University of Colorado Boulder has invented a new type of smart-window technology designed to dramatically reduce energy loss.

The technology, still in early-stage development, reduces energy waste by allowing users to hit a button and modify the kinds of light allowed into the window, depending on outside temperature. The switch controls an electric current that shoots through nanoparticles held in a liquid-crystal composite within the window glass.

Smart window technologies have been around for years. But the CU team believes its window marks a major advancement…

Sign up for BizWest Daily Alerts