Global and regional perspectives on optimizing thermo-responsive dynamic windows for energy-efficient buildings

Abstract Architectural thermo-responsive dynamic windows offer an autonomous solution for solar heat regulation, thereby reducing building energy consumption. Previous work has emphasized the significance of thermo-responsive windows in hot climates due to their role in solar heat control and subseq...

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Main Authors: Yuan Gao, Jacob C. Jonsson, D. Charlie Curcija, Simon Vidanovic, Tianzhen Hong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-01-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54967-8
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author Yuan Gao
Jacob C. Jonsson
D. Charlie Curcija
Simon Vidanovic
Tianzhen Hong
author_facet Yuan Gao
Jacob C. Jonsson
D. Charlie Curcija
Simon Vidanovic
Tianzhen Hong
author_sort Yuan Gao
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Architectural thermo-responsive dynamic windows offer an autonomous solution for solar heat regulation, thereby reducing building energy consumption. Previous work has emphasized the significance of thermo-responsive windows in hot climates due to their role in solar heat control and subsequent energy conservation; conversely, our study provides a different perspective. Through a global-scale analysis, we explore over 100 material samples and execute more than 2.8 million simulations across over two thousand global locations. World heatmap results, derived from well-trained artificial neural network models, reveal that thermo-responsive windows are especially useful in climates where buildings demand both heating and cooling energy, whereas thermo-responsive windows with optimal transition temperatures show no dynamic features in most of low-latitude tropical regions. Additionally, this study provides a practical guideline and an open-source mapping tool to optimize the intrinsic properties of thermo-responsive materials and evaluate their energy performance for sustainable buildings at various geographical scales.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2041-1723
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publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
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spelling doaj-art-db4e536ce374496396f263cdc340f93d2025-01-05T12:37:35ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-01-0116111010.1038/s41467-024-54967-8Global and regional perspectives on optimizing thermo-responsive dynamic windows for energy-efficient buildingsYuan Gao0Jacob C. Jonsson1D. Charlie Curcija2Simon Vidanovic3Tianzhen Hong4Building Technology & Urban Systems Division, Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBuilding Technology & Urban Systems Division, Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBuilding Technology & Urban Systems Division, Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBuilding Technology & Urban Systems Division, Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBuilding Technology & Urban Systems Division, Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryAbstract Architectural thermo-responsive dynamic windows offer an autonomous solution for solar heat regulation, thereby reducing building energy consumption. Previous work has emphasized the significance of thermo-responsive windows in hot climates due to their role in solar heat control and subsequent energy conservation; conversely, our study provides a different perspective. Through a global-scale analysis, we explore over 100 material samples and execute more than 2.8 million simulations across over two thousand global locations. World heatmap results, derived from well-trained artificial neural network models, reveal that thermo-responsive windows are especially useful in climates where buildings demand both heating and cooling energy, whereas thermo-responsive windows with optimal transition temperatures show no dynamic features in most of low-latitude tropical regions. Additionally, this study provides a practical guideline and an open-source mapping tool to optimize the intrinsic properties of thermo-responsive materials and evaluate their energy performance for sustainable buildings at various geographical scales.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54967-8
spellingShingle Yuan Gao
Jacob C. Jonsson
D. Charlie Curcija
Simon Vidanovic
Tianzhen Hong
Global and regional perspectives on optimizing thermo-responsive dynamic windows for energy-efficient buildings
Nature Communications
title Global and regional perspectives on optimizing thermo-responsive dynamic windows for energy-efficient buildings
title_full Global and regional perspectives on optimizing thermo-responsive dynamic windows for energy-efficient buildings
title_fullStr Global and regional perspectives on optimizing thermo-responsive dynamic windows for energy-efficient buildings
title_full_unstemmed Global and regional perspectives on optimizing thermo-responsive dynamic windows for energy-efficient buildings
title_short Global and regional perspectives on optimizing thermo-responsive dynamic windows for energy-efficient buildings
title_sort global and regional perspectives on optimizing thermo responsive dynamic windows for energy efficient buildings
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54967-8
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AT dcharliecurcija globalandregionalperspectivesonoptimizingthermoresponsivedynamicwindowsforenergyefficientbuildings
AT simonvidanovic globalandregionalperspectivesonoptimizingthermoresponsivedynamicwindowsforenergyefficientbuildings
AT tianzhenhong globalandregionalperspectivesonoptimizingthermoresponsivedynamicwindowsforenergyefficientbuildings