Window film has potential to even out solar heating

Nobody wants to live in a greenhouse. While large windows are pleasant to have in a house and vital in a car, on a sunny day the intensifying effect of all that glass can raise temperatures to an uncomfortable – or even dangerous – level. This can, of course, be alleviated with air-conditioning, but this consumes energy. Simply closing the blinds is another option, but that blocks the view.

The Swedish team, from Chalmers University of Technology, is trying to turn this disadvantage into an advantage. “The aim is to create a pleasant indoor environment even when the sun is at its hottest, without consuming any energy or having to shut ourselves behind blinds. Why not make the most of the energy that we get free of charge instead of trying to fight it,” said chemist Kasper Moth-Poulsen, who is leading the research.

In a paper in the journal Advanced Science, Moth-Poulsen and his colleagues explain the concept they call MOST (MOlecular Solar Thermal Storage). They previously published early research on this concept in the journal Energy and Environmental Science in October last year.