Get the light, beat the heat: Researchers develop new infrared coating for windows
Wednesday, September 7, 2011 - 05:00
in Physics & Chemistry
Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have unveiled a semiconductor nanocrystal coating material capable of controlling heat from the sun while remaining transparent. Based on electrochromic materials, which use a jolt of electric charge to tint a clear window, this breakthrough technology is the first to selectively control the amount of near infrared radiation. This radiation, which leads to heating, passes through the film without affecting its visible transmittance. Such a dynamic system could add a critical energy-saving dimension to "smart window" coatings.