The smart cities of the future are depending on the integration of smart or intelligent windows in buildings to ensure a high quality of living while conserving as much energy and resources as possible. As a part of the building that interacts with the outside, windows are responsible for more than 50% of the total energy losses compared to other structures in the building.

The development of new smart windows that cannot only control solar transmittance, but also provide a range of additional functions such as health management, energy harvesting, and building connectivity will therefore be of great benefit. Such smart windows will be able to connect the building, occupants, and the environment for the first time. Green Town Technology Industry Service Group (GTTIS), with its many years of experience in building management, has identified the need and potential benefits of including smart windows in their building management system.

However, there is no suitable smart window technology available on the market which meets the necessary requirements. By using smart windows in buildings, it is not possible to have just one type and use it universally, it must be possible to adapt it to the intended use, location, climate, latitude and orientation. A possible retrofitting of windows to make them smart windows should also be possible to avoid the unnecessary premature replacement of still functional windows.

In SMART-WIN, the development of a new smart window platform that not only controls solar transmittance, but also provides a range of additional functions such as environmental sensing, health management, energy harvesting and self-sustaining, and building connectivity will be developed. This advanced smart window platform will be evaluated in terms of its potential for building management and its ability to act as an interface between building, occupants, and the environment.

The key technologies will be developed by the SMART-WIN partners. The aim is to create a modular overall system that can be adapted to varying needs and requirements. To achieve a smart window platform which allows a closed-loop system involving energy harvesting, sensing, analysis, prediction, communication with the building, measure environmental conditions as well as determine and, if necessary, increase the well-being of the occupants, a number of developments are necessary.

The research in SMART-WIN comprises the field of transparent conductive layers, flexible sensor technologies, energy harvesting, as well as their electrical and data connections. The developed technologies will allow the integration of functionalities directly into new windows as well as to create the possibility of retrofitting to old windows.

This joint research project will initiate far-reaching economic relations between Austria and China, especially with Zhejiang province by the joint development and planned commercialization of the developed smart windows.

Profactor is the project coordinator …

 

Project Name:    
SmartWin – Smart Cities through Novel Smart Windows

Funding:    
ENERGIE DER ZUKUNFT, SdZ, SdZ 2021 Forschungskooperationen (KP) – https://projekte.ffg.at/projekt/4299470

Duration:    
01.04.2022 – 31.03.2025

Project Partners

Ihr Ansprechpartner

Dr. Michael Mühlberger
Senior Scientist

+43 7252 885 253
michael.muehlberger@nullprofactor.at