Abstract
Chromogenic materials and devices include a wide range of technologies that are capable of changing their spectral properties according to specific external stimuli. Several studies have shown that chromogenics can be conveniently used in building façades in order to reduce energy consumption, with other significant effects. First of all, chromogenics influence the annual energy balance of a building, achieving significant reductions in consumption for HVAC and artificial lighting. In addition, these technologies potentially improve the indoor level of visual comfort, reducing the risks of glare and excessive lighting. This brief review points to a systematic discussion—although not exhaustive and mainly limited to recent results and investigations—of the main studies that deal with building-integrated chromogenics that have appeared, so far, in the scientific literature.
Highlights
In recent years, awareness of global warming has grown a lot and this has pushed research groups all over the world to find new solutions to reduce the anthropogenic fingerprint on ecosystems [1]
Chromogenics influence the annual energy balance of a building, achieving significant reductions in consumption for HVAC and artificial lighting. These technologies potentially improve the indoor level of visual comfort, reducing the risks of glare and excessive lighting. This brief review points to a systematic discussion— not exhaustive and mainly limited to recent results and investigations—of the main studies that deal with building-integrated chromogenics that have appeared, so far, in the scientific literature
An extensive family of materials and devices of this kind is represented by so-called smart materials, i.e., materials with adaptive properties that change according to the application of an external stimulus [3]
Summary
Awareness of global warming has grown a lot and this has pushed research groups all over the world to find new solutions to reduce the anthropogenic fingerprint on ecosystems [1]. The vast class of chromogenics includes materials not considered in this work, such as gasochromics or liquid crystals [4,5,6,7] In all cases, these materials undergo an alteration of their spectral properties in the visible and/or infrared wavelengths due to the application of a specific external stimulus. On the one hand, free heat gains are welcomed in winter (for example, reducing heating loads), in the summer season, they turn into undesired cooling loads [12] For this reason, chromogenic glazing, with adaptive or adjustable spectral properties, can be a very useful tool to reduce energy consumption in several fields: automotive, transportation, and construction. In this short critical review, the main characteristics and performances of PC, TC, and EC materials will be discussed as well, with a not-exhaustive discussion about the main benefits that can be achieved following their building integration
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