Search results for "Smart window"
showing 8 items of 8 documents
Life Cycle Assessment of Luminescent Solar Concentrators Integrated into a Smart Window
2023
Energies : open-access journal of related scientific research, technology development and studies in policy and management 16(4), 1869 (2023). doi:10.3390/en16041869
Functional Thin Films for Glazing Application
2009
Vanadium dioxide is a thermochromic material with great potential for use in intelligent glazing. The thermochromic properties result from a metal to semiconductor transition (MST) where there is an associated structural change from the higher temperature rutile structure to the lower temperature monoclinic structure. This structural transition results in significant changes in optical properties and electrical conductivity. Various chemical vapour deposition (CVD) methodologies have been utilised, to produce thin films of vanadium dioxide. Different strategies are presented for the inclusion of metal dopants and the production of nano-composites. The use of a surfactant molecule, tetraocty…
An Innovative Photovoltaic Luminescent Solar Concentrator Window: Energy and Environmental Aspects
2022
Over the years, different types of smart windows have been tested and developed. In this study, an innovative prototype of a photovoltaic smart window, that integrates luminescent solar concentrators, was analysed. The device independently regulates the movement of the shading system and allows energy surplus, through the electricity generated by modules. Considering the peculiar structure (characterized by the presence of a light shelf) and the thermal characteristics of the device, the analyses focused on optical, thermal, and electrical performances, comparing them with those of a traditional window. The analysis followed an experimental approach that involved lighting and electrical mon…
Semitransparent Perovskite Solar Cells for Building Integration and Tandem Photovoltaics: Design Strategies and Challenges
2021
Over the past decade, halide perovskite systems have captured widespread attention among researchers since their exceptional photovoltaic (PV) performance was disclosed. The unique combination of optoelectronic properties and solution processability shown by these materials has enabled perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to reach efficiencies higher than 25% at low fabrication costs. Moreover, PSCs display enormous potential for modern unconventional PV applications, since they can be made lightweight, semitransparent (ST), and/or flexible by means of appropriate design strategies. In particular, by enabling transparency and high efficiency simultaneously, ST-PSCs hold great promise for future ve…
Luminescent Solar Concentrator (LSC): preliminary phases of the LCA analysis applied to the Smart Window-LSC
2019
Luminescent solar concentrators (LSC) represent one of the innovative technologies related to Building Integrated PhotoVoltaics (BIPV). T hanks to their characteristic of being semi-transparent and of functioning both with direct and diffused radiation, the se devices can be integrated to the surface of the buildings, in particular in replacement of openings such as skylights or windows. They do not require solar tracking systems that are used in classic solar concentrators and allow reducing the presence of silicon compared to traditional photovoltaic panels.
Energy evaluation and life cycle assessment of an innovative building integrated technology: the smart window-luminescent solar concentrator
2022
Luminescent Solar Concentrators (LSC) represent one of the innovative and potentially most versatile technologies related to Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV). The peculiarity of these devices lies in the fact that they can be integrated into the surface of the building to replace openings such as skylights or windows, thanks to their characteristic of being semi-transparent and of functioning both with direct and diffused radiation. Eni developed the own technology Eni Ray Plus® based on LSC and integrated it in a multifunctional smart window-LSC (SW-LSC) prototype. The device uses the energy produced by LSC modules to power an autonomous and passive shading system, exploiting irrad…
Thermochromic Thin Films: Synthesis, Properties and Energy Consumption Modelling
2013
Thermochromic materials such as vanadium dioxide have been postulated for use in “SMART” windows for a number of years. Such windows work by exploiting a structural phase change from an infra-red transmissive state to a infra-red reflective state. Significant challenges still remain before such materials will be able to find wide spread use. In this mini review we discuss the nature of this thermochromic transition with reference to the latest research work in the field. We pay particular attention to challenges such as film colouration, transition temperature, and transition hysteresis. We describe the most up to date strategies for addressing these challenges, considering advanced synthes…
Energy modelling studies of enhanced glazing.
2009
The research on new “energy materials” is a very interesting field of study in the direction of energy saving control in the building construction sector. Lots of studies have been carrying on to develop new enhanced glazing, new synthesis and analysing procedures but simulating their real behaviour is often very difficult and expensive. The easiest way to test the energy performance of new enhanced glazing, in this work doped vanadium (IV) dioxide thermochromic glazing, is to simulate the way they would respond if they were installed in a building. The software used to perform such simulations is Energy Plus™ which is an energy analysis and thermal load simulation program. The aim of this …