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

Yuan Gao (), Jacob C. Jonsson, D. Charlie Curcija, Simon Vidanovic and Tianzhen Hong
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Yuan Gao: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Jacob C. Jonsson: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
D. Charlie Curcija: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Simon Vidanovic: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Tianzhen Hong: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: 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.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54967-8

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