Recent advances in photo‐ or electro‐chromic smart windows and their thermal regulation

Abstract Windows are considered to be a major contributor to energy consumption in buildings. Smart windows, as a replacement for traditional windows, can reversibly regulate the transmittance of sunlight, enabling indoor thermal regulation and promising to reduce building energy consumption, thus a...

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Main Authors: Zhen Du, Shuo Wang, Chang Gu, Guojian Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-05-01
Series:Responsive Materials
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/rpm.20250007
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author Zhen Du
Shuo Wang
Chang Gu
Guojian Yang
author_facet Zhen Du
Shuo Wang
Chang Gu
Guojian Yang
author_sort Zhen Du
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Windows are considered to be a major contributor to energy consumption in buildings. Smart windows, as a replacement for traditional windows, can reversibly regulate the transmittance of sunlight, enabling indoor thermal regulation and promising to reduce building energy consumption, thus attracting increasing attention. Especially, the smart windows based on photochromic (PC) or electrochromic (EC) materials have been widely researched due to zero energy input and potential for seasonal adaptability of PC smart windows, as well as the unique active adjustment mode of EC smart windows. These smart windows hold promising application prospects in the field of thermal regulation of future low energy‐consumption buildings. However, issues such as the difficulty in scaling up EC smart windows, the slow response time of PC smart windows, and the poor cycling stability and durability common to both EC and PC smart windows limit their development in the field of building thermal regulation. Focusing on the important progresses and challenges of these smart windows based on PC or EC materials, we systematically review the typical researches reported in recent years. This review covers the evaluation parameters of thermal regulation performance, innovative mechanisms, optical regulation optimization methods, and developing status of the smart windows based on PC or EC materials. Moreover, we also discuss the existing issues with the current smart windows and propose targeted improving suggestions. Hopefully, this review can promote the further development of the smart thermal regulation technologies with PC or EC windows.
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spelling doaj-art-12c7ef7f5ac448fc83f0652f7e85b1ed2025-08-20T03:05:29ZengWileyResponsive Materials2834-89662025-05-0132n/an/a10.1002/rpm.20250007Recent advances in photo‐ or electro‐chromic smart windows and their thermal regulationZhen Du0Shuo Wang1Chang Gu2Guojian Yang3School of Fundamental Science Zhejiang Pharmaceutical University Ningbo Zhejiang ChinaZhejiang Engineering Research Center for Fabrication and Application of Advanced Photovoltaic Materials School of Materials Science and Engineering NingboTech University Ningbo Zhejiang ChinaSmart Materials for Architecture Research Lab Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Zhejiang University Jiaxing Zhejiang ChinaLaboratory of Optoelectronic and Information Materials and Devices Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering Chinese Academy of Sciences Ningbo Zhejiang ChinaAbstract Windows are considered to be a major contributor to energy consumption in buildings. Smart windows, as a replacement for traditional windows, can reversibly regulate the transmittance of sunlight, enabling indoor thermal regulation and promising to reduce building energy consumption, thus attracting increasing attention. Especially, the smart windows based on photochromic (PC) or electrochromic (EC) materials have been widely researched due to zero energy input and potential for seasonal adaptability of PC smart windows, as well as the unique active adjustment mode of EC smart windows. These smart windows hold promising application prospects in the field of thermal regulation of future low energy‐consumption buildings. However, issues such as the difficulty in scaling up EC smart windows, the slow response time of PC smart windows, and the poor cycling stability and durability common to both EC and PC smart windows limit their development in the field of building thermal regulation. Focusing on the important progresses and challenges of these smart windows based on PC or EC materials, we systematically review the typical researches reported in recent years. This review covers the evaluation parameters of thermal regulation performance, innovative mechanisms, optical regulation optimization methods, and developing status of the smart windows based on PC or EC materials. Moreover, we also discuss the existing issues with the current smart windows and propose targeted improving suggestions. Hopefully, this review can promote the further development of the smart thermal regulation technologies with PC or EC windows.https://doi.org/10.1002/rpm.20250007electrochromic materialsphotochromic materialssmart windowsthermal regulation
spellingShingle Zhen Du
Shuo Wang
Chang Gu
Guojian Yang
Recent advances in photo‐ or electro‐chromic smart windows and their thermal regulation
Responsive Materials
electrochromic materials
photochromic materials
smart windows
thermal regulation
title Recent advances in photo‐ or electro‐chromic smart windows and their thermal regulation
title_full Recent advances in photo‐ or electro‐chromic smart windows and their thermal regulation
title_fullStr Recent advances in photo‐ or electro‐chromic smart windows and their thermal regulation
title_full_unstemmed Recent advances in photo‐ or electro‐chromic smart windows and their thermal regulation
title_short Recent advances in photo‐ or electro‐chromic smart windows and their thermal regulation
title_sort recent advances in photo or electro chromic smart windows and their thermal regulation
topic electrochromic materials
photochromic materials
smart windows
thermal regulation
url https://doi.org/10.1002/rpm.20250007
work_keys_str_mv AT zhendu recentadvancesinphotoorelectrochromicsmartwindowsandtheirthermalregulation
AT shuowang recentadvancesinphotoorelectrochromicsmartwindowsandtheirthermalregulation
AT changgu recentadvancesinphotoorelectrochromicsmartwindowsandtheirthermalregulation
AT guojianyang recentadvancesinphotoorelectrochromicsmartwindowsandtheirthermalregulation