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Onequestion0110 t1_iv6qs9k wrote

Reply to comment by thehourglasses in Researchers designed a transparent window coating that could lower the temperature inside buildings, without expending a single watt of energy. This cooler may lead to an annual energy saving of up to 86.3 MJ/m² or 24 kWh/m² in hot climates by mossadnik

Also the cost to apply it, how durable it is, etc.

I could easily see a coating that works great but turns to tinting after a couple of years and is impossible to remove.

Or it takes specialized training and equipment to apply like repainting a car does, so even if the raw material is cheap it becomes a big expense and hassle to do it.

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Twirrim t1_iv7ogva wrote

The church I went to growing up had beautiful Victorian stained glass windows, by a particularly important artist.

In the 70s the church was strongly advised to put some specific coating on the outside to protect and preserve them for future generations. It was transparent, and durable.

Within 10-15 years it was this beige translucent colour and only got worse with time. The church almost looked boarded up by the late 90s, while it still looked beautiful on the inside.

Of course a method didn't exist (at the time) to actually remove it, either, without damaging the frame.

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Bman10119 t1_iv7f753 wrote

How does it affect homes in places that have changing seasonal temperatures? Sure making all the homes in Florida cooler isn't bad but if the savings are going to be lost by a house further north because it still made it colder in the winter driving up heating costs then is it worth it?

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RedditTab t1_iv7jz39 wrote

Bold of you to assume we see the sun in the winter.

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Bman10119 t1_iv7mlfd wrote

I've lived in plenty of places with snow and cold winters that saw the sun in the winter :p

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ilep t1_iv80u2w wrote

Further north you go, longer the period when sun doesn't rise above the horizon. Arctic circle marks the latitude when sun doesn't rise at certain time of the year.

Just saying. So this kind of coating would not make difference as heating from direct sunlight would be small in any case.

But I would assume there would be different products for different regions like they are these days.

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JasonDJ t1_iv7sx1p wrote

Yeah…I’m in the sweet spot this time of year where the sun blasting through my glass storm door provides more heat than I lose from drafts.

Gotta love southern-facings.

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RandomLogicThough t1_iv7tkj9 wrote

I would think colder really just means more insulated which is better for heating or cooling

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aldhibain t1_iv8ixnw wrote

The article states that they're trying to cool the building by radiating heat in addition to reducing the heat that is coming in.

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RandomLogicThough t1_iv8j4px wrote

I feel that would also stop heat from getting out. I'll look at the article...sometime....

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supercrossed t1_iv7qfwj wrote

Wonder if it could be sandwiched between two panes of glass to help with durability. That way the coating has no exposure to the elements.

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snackelmypackel t1_iv7y4is wrote

Kinda like a windshield? Except i think those are plastic or something sandwiching the middle glass

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Arrowcreek t1_iv81zy3 wrote

Uv blocking poly. Mostly for structural integrity. Uv and what not is just a bonus.

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Contundo t1_iv84zqc wrote

Normal glass is 2 or 3 layers often filled argon gas between them. put This on the outside of the middle layer, its protected from the harsh environment and could be in a mostly inert atmosphere.

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_Rand_ t1_iv8elty wrote

Hopefully it doesn’t break down just due to UV.

Would suck to have yellowed completely unrepairable windows.

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Zech08 t1_iv8crrn wrote

They have double paned windows, guessing the air acts as an insulator, dont see why we couldn't add a material inbetween that.

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FidelCashdrawer t1_iv8f7op wrote

Indeed window companies do this. They’re called “Low E” (Low emissivity) coatings and do a great job

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