Spotted: Windows have remained functionally the same since their invention; providing natural light and perhaps a level of aesthetic beauty to a home. However, this has meant that while the home has undergone technological smart advancements with heating, storage, electricity, and other things, windows have fallen behind.
Windows account for about 30 per cent of heat loss in a home, and during hot periods, they often let in too much solar heat, which is often compensated for with energy-intensive cooling systems. And even with the right window insulation, it’s rare that lighting is “just right” for the occupant’s comfort when dealing with shifting natural light sources.
This is where Tynt comes in. The concept is simple: windows that can regulate the amount of light that is let in based on what’s available and also the desire of the operator. This is accomplished by using patented Reversible Metal Electrodeposition (RME).
The technology uses a small electric current to influence the properties of a metal film that rests in between the windowpanes – affecting how opaque the window appears and how much energy it absorbs. By either regulating the current up or down, the opacity of the window will range from completely transparent to truly blacked out. With this system the heat regulation of the house is also far more efficient – requiring just 1 volt to function, according to the company.
Tynt is not in the commercial phase just yet, but you can sign up to be alerted when the first product becomes available, which the company predicts will be in 2024.
Windows are a central part of all modern buildings, but if they’re poorly designed, they can rapidly increase the heat losses and greenhouse gas emissions of a property. In the archive, Springwise has also spotted shade screens that provide renewable sources of energy as well as this company that can retrofit entire buildings with net-zero glass to reduce heating costs.
British startup Water-Filled Glass has developed panes of glass filled with water that use sunlight to power a “crazy” energy-saving heating and cooling system.
Founded in 2020 by Loughborough University architecture lecturer Matyas Gutai and his colleagues Daniel Schinagl and Abolfazl Ganji Kheybari, Water-Filled Glass (WFG) aims to use patented technology to make heavily glazed buildings significantly more sustainable.
Its windows contain a thin layer of water between glass panes, which absorbs heat from sunlight or other radiation, such as heat leaving a room.
The warmed water is then pumped through sealed pipes at low pressure to colder areas of the building, through an underfloor system or into thermal storage.
Water-Filled Glass estimates its system can reduce energy bills by around 25 per cent
By absorbing thermal energy in this way the water-filled glass also limits how much solar heat gain enters the building through windows, reducing the need for air-conditioning in hot climates.
“We know that putting water in the window sounds like an outright mad idea,” Gutai told Dezeen.
“But we believe this is important because when you think about the energy of buildings and cutting carbon emissions, there’s still great potential and opportunity to think about glazing. Glass is responsible for a great part of heating and cooling energy consumption, and it’s a ubiquitous material, it’s on almost every building.”
Water House 2.0 in Taiwan is an experimental project testing the heating and cooling system
“And if you think about that potential, I think even crazy ideas are somewhat warranted,” he continued. “Even if the idea sounds a bit mad off the bat, I think it’s important to think of alternatives to what we have. So we have crazy ideas, but we’re not crazy.”
WFG estimates that, depending on climate and a building’s window-to-wall ratio, its technology can reduce energy bills by around 25 per cent compared with standard windows.
The startup’s first commercial projects, an industrial building in Hungary and a residential development in the US, are now under construction.
It has completed two prototype buildings using the technology, named Water House 1.0 and Water House 2.0 (pictured) – the former a small cabin in Hungary and the latter a pavilion at Feng Chia University in Taiwan.
The technology prevents solar heat from entering through windows, reducing the need for active cooling
Gutai said water-filled glass allows buildings to be heavily glazed without compromising sustainability.
“The whole idea comes from the recognition that moving energy is much, much cheaper than heating or cooling the space,” said Gutai, who previously worked for prominent Japanese architect Shigeru Ban and in Kengo Kuma’s research lab at the University of Tokyo.
“That really excited us about water-filled glass,” he added. “We wanted to actually give architects the opportunity to build even completely fully glazed buildings if they want to without any compromise on sustainability.”
Because the system uses off-the-shelf glass and parts, WFG claims it does not greatly increase the embodied-carbon impact of construction as well as being easy to manufacture.
The company also insists its system has no impact on the aesthetics of the building inside or out, since water absorbs most energy from the part of the light spectrum that is invisible to humans.
A monitoring device is fitted to clean the water automatically, with maintenance checks required once a year.
A thin layer of water sits between panes of glass and absorbs heat from sunlight
In colder climates, the water-filled glass system uses triple-pane windows, the outer cavity filled with argon insulation to prevent the water from freezing during winter.
Capable of heating water up to temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius, the technology can be connected to a conventional heat pump or boiler.
WFG has also developed a retrofit version of its product, where the system can be fitted behind existing glazing without having to destroy the windows already in place.
Spotted: The world is increasingly looking for new sustainable sources of energy. Solar, wind. and water power are all environmentally friendly energy sources that don’t produce harmful emissions. However, renewable energy solutions can be costly, and it’s important to find cost-effective ways to implement them.
In light of this, researchers at the University of Oulu in Finland have developed a new way to generate renewable hydrogen fuel that is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Their new nickel-based catalyst uses sunlight to split water into its constituent atoms: oxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogen can then be harnessed as a clean and renewable source of fuel.
As the world looks for cleaner and more sustainable sources of energy, hydrogen has emerged as a leading contender. Hydrogen fuel cells are highly efficient and emit no pollutants at point of use, making them an appealing option for the future of energy production. However, one major obstacle to widespread adoption of hydrogen fuel cells is their cost. Precious metals such as platinum and palladium are often used in the electrodes, making production expensive. Some researchers are exploring alternatives to precious metals, with nickel emerging as a promising option.
To understand the effectiveness of the design, the University of Oulu team analysed the materials they used for their catalyst at the University of Saskatchewan (USask). Findings have now been published in the journal Applied Energy.
This breakthrough provides hope that we can develop cost-effective renewable energy solutions that will help us to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. On this topic, Springwise has spotted an off-grid hydrogen generation technology for on-demand power and a way to power the planet through ultra-deep geothermal energy.
