Scientists unveil energy-generating window

For the last few months, researchers had worked for designing a windows that let through the air, but no sound. Today, a new window called "intelligent" that would regulate the heat, but also to collect energy. A team of Chinese researchers has just published its latest advances in the journal Nature Scientific for a new glass surface.

Most of the surfaces that fitted in the more modern buildings are often the cause of poor insulation in both winter and summer, despite the progress made in double or triple glazing. Smart windows have developed the ability to adapt to external climatic conditions etvitre 2 and provide insulation adapted to the situation: confining the heat inside the building in the winter, and removing the heat of summer.

Gao Yanfeg of Shanghai University said "The main innovation of our work is to have developed a concept of smart window to simultaneously generate and save energy.” This window component is a film composed of vanadium oxide particles, partitioned and sandwiched between two sheets of polycarbonate which allows this feat. Vanadium Oxide (VO2) has its chemical properties vary depending on the temperature.

Under 68 degrees Celsius, it is insulating and completely transparent to infrared light. Above 68 ° C, it becomes conductive and reflects infrared light. Ideal properties of this window make it to fit the seasons. But the expanded window can also generate electricity through solar panels positioned on the peripheral.

As part of a building large-scale solar energy production could afford to run a part of the activity of the latter. Currently, the technology presented is viable and suitable to industrialization; no cost has yet been shared.