Objective
Glazed surfaces are increasingly adopted in buildings but are responsible for the highest part of the energy needs of building (about 25-30%), which constitute 40% of total energy consumption in Europe.In a moderate climate, typical of European countries, buildings are subjected in some seasons to overheating, while high solar gains are desired to support space heating during other seasons. An optimal glazing should then have high solar transmittance in winter to enhance passive solar energy utilisation, while a low transmission in the solar infrared region in summer to avoid overheating or high cooling loads. The aim of the TERMOGLAZE is to realise a thermochromic switchable glazing, that adapts itself to the external climatic condition in order to optimise its behaviour, behaving like a clear surface below the transition temperature: high shading coefficient (i.e. high heat gain due to solar radiation ) and high visible transmittance; and like a spectrally selective surface above transition temperature: low shading coefficient (i.e. low heat gain) and high visible transmittance, hence without loosing too much visibility to the outside.
Aim of the TERMOGLAZE project is to develop such an innovative product and an affordable and low cost production process, based on Athmospheric Pressure CVD. Targets of the TERMOGLAZE are: limited change in the visible spectrum but very significant changes in the IR portion above transition temperature: visible transmittance 50-60%, shading coefficient 40%; virtually no change in the visual aspect: colour, visibility; transition temperatures optimised for different climatic conditions in the range 20-35??C; very narrow width of hysteresis around the transition temperature; good mechanical and physical durability of the TC layer, to be realised as a solid state very thin layer (less than 250 nm); low cost investment for installation of equipment; production cost of the TC layer up to 20% of the cost of the underlying window.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energysolar energy
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcolors
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesmeteorologysolar radiation
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcoating and films
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynano-materials
Call for proposal
FP6-2003-SME-1
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
COOPERATIVE -Coordinator
ROME
Italy