The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)—the US Department of Energy’s laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research, development, and deployment—is currently refining a technology that darkens or lightens windows with a small electronic voltage. By adjusting the darkness of windows, facility managers could control the amount of light and heat that enters a building, thereby optimizing energy use.
NREL estimates that these “electrochromic” windows have the potential of reducing the annual US energy consumption by several quadrillion BTUs annually.
For more information, visit the electrochromic windows research section of the NREL Web site.
