A review of conventional, advanced, and smart glazing technologies and materials for improving indoor environment

Abstract

The ever increasing demand of energy consumption, and harmful CO2 emission, which causes global warming necessitate the urgent need of energy conservation particularly in buildings which are one of the energy consuming sectors. The most vulnerable building parts to heat gain and heat loss are windows that count for substantial cooling and heating load consequently. An enormous amount of electrical energy is being consumed to run air conditioner devices to adjust the temperature of living spaces and inside buildings, while proper glazing technologies and materials can be utilized to reduce the energy consumption. With the advancement of glazing technology, smart, passive, and active windows are developed that can considerably decrease buildings energy demands while improving indoor environment. This paper rigorously reviews various types of glass coatings and glazing systems including conventional, advanced, and smart and highlights their paramount features. The relative merits of various coatings fabrication methods are elucidated. Finally based on touchstone for different climate types, the possibility of employing different window technologies is discussed for hot, cool, and temperate climates.