PFI-TT: High performance, regenerative windows for building energy reduction and clean energy production

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project offers broader environmental, societal, and commercial impacts through building energy savings, renewable power production, and pollutant reductions. Commercial windows significantly contribute to an increase in heating and cooling loads inside the building while affecting visual and thermal comfort to the occupants. The development of clean energy is an important priority as the growing population and new construction lead to a rise in fossil fuel use and anthropogenic emissions. This project is expected to improve on-site renewable energy production to help combat global warming. The US construction market for commercial windows is estimated at around $3 billion annually. With enhanced energy efficiency and power production, the proposed regenerative windows have the potential to save both upfront and operational cost by producing clean electricity and reducing cooling, heating, and artificial lighting load, making buildings more appealing to building owners, industry professionals, and stakeholders. Aesthetic enhancement of the system is expected to further increase widespread adoption of public use. The project is contributing to an energy-efficient, healthy living environment through aesthetically intriguing, functionally innovative windows.This project seeks to develop a novel high-performance regenerative window integrated with climate responsive solar cells to improve on-site clean energy production and building energy efficiency. The vertical surface of urban buildings offers a prime location to harness solar energy. Unlike traditional double-pane windows, the proposed windows are able to be optimized for various performance needs – energy savings, on-site power production, and user satisfaction. The system incorporates a closed air cavity where solar cells are installed in a conditioned, closed air space to prevent heat build-up, dust accumulation, and moisture formation resulting in high energy conversion efficiency and system longevity. In addition to the enhanced energy conversion efficiency and system longevity, the system is expected to yield high thermal performance, good shading efficacy, daylighting penetration, and acoustic insulation. The system is also designed to promote wide architectural application and user satisfaction by providing improved aesthetic appearance, and view-out and daylight illuminance, impacting the health, well-being, and productivity of building occupants.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.