Energy efficient windows
Sunlight can be used to light homes, office buildings and other structures all year round, reducing the need for artificial lighting. Sunlight can also be manipulated to control the climate within buildings, providing heat in winter for instance. Both applications can reduce energy consumption, reaping in turn both financial and environmental benefits. The challenge is to develop a system that can optimise energy savings during all seasons and that does not negatively impact building aesthetics or functionality. Polymage, a French company participating in the LCDAYLIGHT project, developed a viable solution based on a switchable lamella that employs the latest liquid crystal technology. The lamella modifies its chromatic properties in order to regulate the transmission of light and heat between the building and its environment. When integrated into full-scale fenestration systems, substantial advances in energy savings can be achieved. Polymage, in collaboration with its LCDAYLIGHT partners, plans to target the Venetian blind sector of the fenestration market initially. Work is underway to incorporate the lamella into glazed building components. Other applications of the technology are also being investigated. Such innovation will help Europe meet the lofty emissions reduction targets set by the Kyoto Protocol and promote sustainable building practices.
