EFRI SEED : Toward Zero-energy Buildings Based on Electrochromic Windows(ECW) and Energy-harvesting ECW

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this EFRI-SEED project is to develop a set of new switchable dyes and polymers as the basis for electrochromic windows (ECWs) and energy-harvesting (EH) ECWs which substantially reduce cooling/heating loads and increase human comfort. An secondary objective is to develop a partner methodology for moving towards the design of zero-energy buildings that transfers this new technology into educational programs for both the academic and building design communities. The project will develop EH-ECW technology by combining the merits of electrochromic window and dye-sensitized solar cell technologies for dimming control and to generate power to operate not only the ECWs but also other electrical systems. The researchers will study the fundamentals of sensor/controller systems for optimal use of the EH-ECWs in a given room, and the consideration of environmental life cycle impact into EH-ECW technology development and dissemination. The integration of EH-ECW systems into an autonomous building system is the basis for a new concept called "locally harvesting and locally used." The material systems studied promise substantial improvements over existing systems and will parallel component development with the use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The LCA will form an overall framework to bring together the research and expertise of an interdisciplinary team including technology development and educational integration. The researchers will develop models to forecast environmental impacts for scaled fabrication sequences, performance for a variety of building types with the proposed ECW/EH-ECW systems and locations, and demolition systems. The research will investigate the use of EH-ECWs to generate a substantial portion of the energy used by buildings, thus reducing the impacts of central energy generation, and to increase visual comfort and building envelope performance resulting in healthier, more productive indoor environments, as well as to smooth the transfer of the above integrated technology to residential and commercial building design and the construction industry, targeting the $20B window market. This team plans to interact with the existing NSF centers, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, UW laboratories, a local architectural group and window company, the Seattle Science Center, and the University of Ulster (UU) as a foreign collaborator. The FY 2010 EFRI-SEED Topic that supports this project was sponsored by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorates for Engineering (ENG), Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), and Computer & Information Science and Engineering in collaboration with the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).