Chapters authored
Solar Modulation Utilizing VO2-Based Thermochromic Coatings for Energy-Saving Applications
Energy consumption has become an urgent issue not only for the global environment, but also for people’s lives. Among total energy consumption, buildings take nearly 40%. For buildings, energy exchange through windows accounts for over 50% by means of conduction, convection, and radiation. To reduce energy consumption, new structures should be developed for glass surfaces to enhance their thermal insulation properties. Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is the most well-known thermochromic material, which exhibits a notable optical change from transparent to reflecting in the infrared upon a semiconductor-to-metal phase-transition. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive summary of advances on the VO2-based thermochromic coatings. Although the research on VO2 smart window has been carried on for several decades, the real commercial use of it has not yet been achieved. The hindrance factors against commercial use are conventionally known as the unsatisfactory intrinsic properties of VO2 material and have recently emerged as new challenges.
Part of the book: Emerging Solar Energy Materials