Home windows have come a long way. For centuries, they were the only source of light and air in our homes. Now they are so much more.
From solar windows to auto-tinting glass and bird-friendly screens, new home window technology may soon may improve comfort and energy efficiency while also enhancing your view and overall ambiance of your home’s interior space. Here’s what you need to know about these new technologies:
Solar Windows
Solar windows may soon be an innovative way to potentially money on heating and cooling costs. Using a transparent luminescent solar concentrator, these windows generate solar panel using a transparent panel.
Solar power uses energy from the sun to heat or cool your home, which means that you’ll spend less money on energy bills each month.
By installing solar windows, homeowners will simultaneously cut down on carbon emissions while also saving money.
Auto-tinting windows
Auto-tinting windows are a new technology that enables windows to auto-tint based on the amount of sunlight outside. Darker tints block heat and save energy by keeping the home cooler without air conditioning.
Ecoline Windows recently wrote about this emerging technology:
“Electrochromic technology currently allows windows to tint on demand and have been used in airplane windows for several years. Present models take up to seven minutes to transition and don’t get dark enough for wide-spread residential use.”
Ecoline Windows
Bird-friendly Windows
Bird-friendly windows are designed to be visible to birds and not humans. They have special anti-reflective coatings that allow birds to see through the window, but not vice versa. These windows are made of bird-friendly materials like acrylic and polycarbonate, which they can peck through if they need to escape an aggressive predator or find a new home elsewhere.
Bird-friendly windows cost more than standard windows because they are harder to make and require more energy during production (they must be heated), so you may want to consider other options before choosing one of these types of products for your home’s exterior glass surfaces
New technologies in home windows have improved comfort and energy efficiency.
New technologies in home windows have improved comfort and energy efficiency.
Windows are one of the largest sources of heat loss in a home, which is why it’s important to choose windows that help keep you warm during winter and cool during summer. Newer models of window technology include coatings that reflect infrared light back into your room rather than allowing it to escape through the glass (this helps reduce glare), as well as special materials that absorb heat from sunlight before it can pass through into your living area.
We hope you enjoyed reading about some of the latest innovations in home windows. We know that there are many more technologies out there that we didn’t cover, but we wanted to focus on those that have been proven effective or are close to becoming so. In addition, all of these options have one thing in common: they’re all made possible by advances in materials science and manufacturing processes!