Applications of thermochromic and electrochromic smart windows: Materials to buildings

Thermochromic and electrochromic smart windows are increasingly receiving attention for their specific ability to regulate the dynamics of light and heat. The goal of improving smart-window materials is chiefly to achieve building applications. This paper reviews the progress of existing material technologies and summarizes their experiments and simulations related to buildings. To facilitate the leap from material to building, the concept of performance regula-tion of ideal smart windows is proposed, and the applicability distri-bution of existing technologies is mapped. Based on the completely different core logic of thermochromic and electrochromic smart windows, the discrepancies and consistencies between the two are discussed. Performance requirements of smart windows in materials and buildings are proposed. Bridging the gap between materials and buildings for interdisciplinary promotion is the key to further exploration of the potential application of smart windows and accelerating their applications in the future.

Automated summary

This paper reviews the progress of existing material technologies related to smart windows and their experiments and simulations in building applications. It proposes the concept of performance regulation for ideal smart windows and maps the applicability distribution of existing technologies. The differences and consistencies between thermochromic and electrochromic smart windows are discussed based on their different core logic. The performance requirements of smart windows in both materials and buildings are proposed. Bridging the gap between materials and buildings is essential for the future exploration and acceleration of the potential applications of smart windows.