Having to walk around an entire house multiple times a day in order to open and close window shades according to the temperature and position of the sun can be time-consuming and tedious. Unfortunately, by ignoring this chore, one risks unnecessary energy costs.
In order to remove some of the hassle, window makers are implementing the ability to control window tint through portable devices.
Planetsave.com reports that new smart windows are available with a coating of metal oxide which reacts to volts of electricity that darken the windows. These windows can decrease energy costs by up to 20%.
By controlling individual windows, users can darken the windows to keep heat from the sun out to cool one part of a house, while simultaneously letting light into a room by clearing the windows in a separate location.
By 2020, it is predicted that the market for energy efficient windows will increase by 19% — an estimated $5 million. And by instituting remote access to functionality, companies plan to reach those numbers by riding the technology wave.
“Every window has an IP address and [is] controllable through the internet. Everything is at your fingertips, and then it can tie a number of other things together. The windows can now talk to the lighting and HVAC system, and on a more global level it could connect to the future smart city and smart grid,” Rao Mulphuri, CEO of a startup window company called View, told Forbes.
While lowering energy costs and and increasing user-friendly functionality are an important function of low-e windows, the environmental conservation benefits are just as appealing.
According to WCFCourier.com, energy efficient windows can prevent between 1,106 to 6,072 pounds of carbon dioxide from seeping into the atmosphere. This amounts to about 51 to 310 gallons of gasoline emissions.
A big part of encouraging energy efficient practices is to cater to consumer benefits. Between cutting down utility bills, helping the environment, and especially offering the laziness to do all of this while sitting down, could bring a huge upswing of energy conscious homeowners in the coming years.
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