Electrochromic sun control coverings for windows

Conference · Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6979570

Benson, D K; Tracy, C E

The 2 billion square meters (m{sup 2}) of building windows in the United States cause a national energy drain almost as large as the energy supply of the Alaskan oil pipeline. Unlike the pipeline, the drain of energy through windows will continue well into the 21st century. A part of this energy drain is due to unwanted sun gain through windows. This is a problem throughout the country in commercial buildings because they generally require air conditioning even in cold climates. New commercial windows create an additional 1600 MW demand for peak electric power in the United States each year. Sun control films, widely used in new windows and as retrofits to old windows, help to mitigate this problem. However, conventional, static solar control films also block sunlight when it is wanted for warmth and daylighting. New electrochromic, switchable, sun-gain-control films now under development will provide more nearly optimal and automatic sun control for added comfort, decreased building operating expense, and greater energy saving. Switchable, electrochromic films can be deposited on polymers at high speeds by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) in a process that may be suitable for roll coating. This paper describes the electrochromic coatings and the PECVD processes, and speculates about their adaptability to high-speed roll coating. 8 refs., 3 figs.

• Research Organization: Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/CE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-83CH10093
• OSTI ID: 6979570
• Report Number(s): SERI/TP-212-3786; CONF-900486-1; ON: DE90000335
• Resource Relation: Conference: 33. annual technical conference, New Orleans, LA (USA), 29 Apr - 4 May 1990
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
14 SOLAR ENERGY
BUILDINGS
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
FILMS
ELECTROCHROMISM
WINDOWS
COATINGS
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
PROCESS CONTROL
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMAL INSULATION
CHEMICAL COATING
CONTROL
DEPOSITION
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRO-OPTICAL EFFECTS
OPENINGS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SURFACE COATING
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
ELECTROCHROMIC WINDOWS
SUN CONTROL FILMS
SUN-GAIN-CONTROL FILMS
SWITCHABLE FILMS
PLASMA ENHANCED CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION (PECVD)
320107* - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Building Systems- (1987-)
400400 - Electrochemistry
140505 - Solar Energy Conversion- Photochemical
Photobiological
& Thermochemical Conversion- (1980-)