Transcript:
On a hot summer day, the sun will pour into the glass windows of an office or apartment building.
That sun would heat up the room inside – making people sweat and force the air conditioner to work harder to cool the building.
But a technology called dynamic glass can help keep buildings cool on sunny days.
On dark days, dynamic glass windows are very clear, just like any other window.
But on a clear day, the dynamic glass darkens – a bit like sunglasses – which can keep sunlight and heat out of the building.
Using certain types of dynamic glass, this change will automatically occur in hot and sunny days.
Other types allow people to electronically control the shadow level of windows.
This technology can make buildings more comfortable. For example, after installing some dynamic glass windows at Dallas Airport, the surface temperature near the windows dropped by 15 degrees.
Experts say dynamic glass can reduce the energy required for lighting and cooling by about 10% or more.
Much of the electricity still comes from fossil fuel plants that emit carbon pollution.
Therefore, dynamic glass can help buildings be more energy-efficient and limit their impact on the climate.
Report Credit: Ethan Freedman/Chavobart Digital Media
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