You might think there is no further progress that can be made when it comes to the windows in your home. However, the window of the future could be made from transparent components that conduct electricity! It is a new breakthrough in which metal can be added to the glass, but it still remains transparent!
Windows could, in effect, be turned into high-tech objects, along with most other things in our lives. Within the not-too-distant future, windows could all become as smart as the smart screens on our tablets and mobile phones!
It sounds like something from a sci-fi movie but it can become a reality thanks to recent discoveries made at the University of British Columbia. While we probably will not see this technology by the time our current windows are due for replacement, perhaps our children will have a smart window in their first home. For the latest in window tech, contact a Glass suppliers and glaziers Bristol at a site like Roman Glass, a leading Glass suppliers and glaziers Bristol.
This smart technology involves glass pieces which are very small and coated with a thin layer of metal such as silver, so light can travel through. The metal used is a natural conductor of electricity so in short, windows can be a part of smart technology, even with a display screen too.
Scientists have long known that you can put glass on metal to make the metal more transparent, but this is the first time it has been possible to put metal on glass to make the glass more transparent.
What is useful about this technology is the ability to selectively filter heat and light automatically according to pre-set instructions depending on the time of day and season. It would be a major breakthrough for the smart home, having a window that can be integrated into an existing smart home set-up.
Already there is a breakthrough in the world of architectural glass. A new era of green thinking has promoted more sustainable manufacturing methods and helping the government to achieve lower carbon emissions. The ideal scenario is one where function meets fashion and windows can be produced in a sustainable manner that also offer style, beauty and a useful purpose other than to let in light. The designers of the future are looking for ever more ingenious ways to create a stunning and healthy environment for the millions of people who live and work in urban areas.
Where previously the focus was always on aesthetics, it is now increasingly aiming to develop sustainable, aesthetically-pleasing and energy-saving glass for many uses. This glass is very versatile with so many different applications. Not only can a window be used to provide beautiful views but can also be used to reduce condensation, glare reduction, implementing increased security and helping to regulate the temperature of the building to keep the occupants comfortable. Many developments seek to improve the coating of glass, but experts also see how the glass itself can be modified into providing more solar heat accumulation in cold climates, for example.