Energy efficiency of smart windows made of photonic crystal

Abstract

Windows are one of the main sources of energy loss in buildings. Many types of smart windows have been developed to reduce energy consumption. However, these windows cannot control visible light and near-infrared (NIR) light independently. This study introduces a new photonic crystals glazing (PCG) system that can be dynamically controlled to achieve high reflection of NIR without affecting the transmittance of visible light. A case study was used to determine energy consumption (heating and cooling load) of the proposed PCG system. The performance of the PCG system was compared to the commercially available glazing systems and the optimum climatic conditions for maximum efficiency of the PCG system was determined. This study found that the PCG is the most energy efficient system for reducing heating and cooling loads compared to the existing glazing systems. Additionally, the study showed that the PCG system saves more energy in cold climates with high heating loads.