Maximizing Solar Energy Utilization through Multicriteria Pareto Optimization of Energy Harvesting and Regulating Smart Windows

Abstract

Windows play a crucial role in regulating solar energy exchange with a building, while supporting many essential functions, including natural daylighting, ventilation, and visual contact with the outside. These distinct functions often make complex and sometimes conflicting demands of solar energy. Here, we report a multicriteria Pareto optimization approach to obtain optimal balance of the energy-harvesting and energy-regulating functions for a smart window device. The optimal design is validated experimentally using a nanofabricated prototyping smart window device, which comprises a semi-transparent perovskite solar cell and an aperiodic multilayer nanophotonic coating. Based on experimental characterization of the prototype, calculations using EnergyPlus project an annual energy savings of 13,560 kWh or 187% over a chromogenic smart window for a 2,000-ft 2 single-story residential building located in Phoenix, Arizona. The reported multicriteria optimization and the nanophotonic device architecture offer promising solutions for the efficient utilization of solar energy. A smart window realizes concurrent energy harvesting and energy regulating Linking semi-transparent perovskite solar cell with aperiodic nanophotonic coating Multicriteria Pareto optimization to maximize the solar energy utilization Estimated 187% improvement in annual energy savings over a chromogenic smart window Wang et al. report a smart window device for concurrently harvesting and regulating solar energy. The smart window device comprises a semi-transparent perovskite solar cell and an aperiodic nanophotonic coating, using multicriteria Pareto optimization to balance the energy-harvesting and -regulating functions to significantly improve the utilization of solar energy.