Dynamic IR Window Film to Improve Window Energy Efficiency

IR Dynamics, LLC will develop a low-cost nanomaterial technology to be incorporated into flexible window films that will improve thermal insulation and solar heat gain. The team's nanomaterial will incorporate two materials. First, low-cost nanosheets will increase thermal resistance. Second, a new type of nanomaterial will allow heat, in the form of infrared radiation (IR) from the sun, to pass through the window when it is cold outside, helping to warm the room in cold weather. When it is hot outside, the material will block the solar IR from passing through the window and warming the interior. This same material reflects thermal radiation and displays a tunable emissivity, contributing more to its insulation value and energy retention. The dynamic IR reflectivity and emissivity are passive by nature, requiring no electronics or power source to shift, and only rely on environmental temperature changes. IR Dynamics' technology creates a window film that automatically adjusts depending on outside temperatures and can have a substantive impact in performance on single-pane and older variants of double-pane windows.