Energy-generating smart windows based on reversible metal electrodeposition

Abstract

The energy consumption and carbon emissions of buildings account for 34% and 37% of the global totals, respectively; thus, the development of energy-saving and carbon-neutral technologies in buildings is crucial for addressing the global energy crisis and reducing the carbon footprint. This work demonstrates a novel energy-generating smart window integrating a laminated semitransparent organic photovoltaic (STOPV) and a reversible metal electrodeposition-based electrochromic device (ECD). The smart window in the low-transmittance (tinted) state shows a significant light reflection property, which not only generates ∼16% more electricity relative to the high-transmission (clear) state but also shows a good heat insulation effect, reducing the temperature by 1.6 °C. Building energy simulations demonstrate that the smart window achieves an energy gain (sum of energy saving and energy generation) ranging from 10.1% to 16.2% in different cities around the world, indicating that the reflection-based smart window has great potential in energy-efficient and carbon-neutralized buildings.