Innovative solar windows for cooling-demand climate

To cope with the sustainability and conservation needs, window technology is currently under rapid evolution. A number of innovations in recent years have given window glazing a revised identity as well as a wide range of design options. This paper gives a brief overview of the developed as well as emerging advanced window technology for cooling-demand climates. The physical structure and energy performance are discussed and compared through numerical computation. Then the innovative concept of water-flow window is introduced and the potential areas of application are discussed. Our results indicate that this new design is able to support hot water Supply system, reduce air-conditioning load and enhance thermal and Visual comfort. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.