There has been a lot of hype over the last few years about replacing the windows in your home with energy-efficient or “smart windows.” Green home improvements have several benefits. They are good for the environment, they reduce our reliance upon non-renewable sources of energy, and they save us money on our energy bills. For most of us, the latter is the greatest motivation. But if that isn’t enough, there are plenty of state and federal tax credits and rebates to further grease the wheels. However, if you have already been convinced that you should make the change to energy-saving windows, there is a lot more to these windows than you might imagine. Reading about some of the recent developments in window technology may leave you with the feeling that you’ve just walked into an episode of “The Jetsons.”

Some of the nomenclature for the scientific concepts used in smart-window technology will certainly have you reeling: liquid crystals and suspended particle display strike a good balance between being self-explanatory and having somewhat magical properties. Then things get more complicated with technologies like reflective hydrides, and by the time you get to thermotropics, photo-chromatics, and electro-chromatics, smart-window concepts seem downright arcane. Not to worry, though. Below is a brief explanation of everything you never knew you needed to know about smart windows. The next time you host a dinner party you can amaze your guests with your technological and environmental savvy.

Think of suspended particle devices in the same way that you would think about transitional lenses for eyeglasses. Just like the eyeglasses change from clear to shaded when the sun is bright, suspended particle devices will allow you to adjust your windows’ light-blocking capability from clear to completely opaque with a flip of a switch. Progress is being made to allow you to retrofit your existing windows with this light-blocking technology, rather than having to replace your windows completely. The fully manufactured suspended particle technology device windows are composed of two glass or plastic panels, a conductive coating, and tiny light absorbing particles suspended in a liquid or gel. The control for the windows requires very little energy and can either be automatic or manual.

Liquid crystal technology is somewhat more common, as liquid crystal display (LCD) is found in television and computer screens, digital clocks, and calculators. In liquid crystal windows, the glass is naturally translucent, thus providing privacy and protection from the heat and light. When an electric charge is applied, the crystals line up to let light shine through naturally and the windows become clear.

Developing smart window technologies like electro-chromatic windows operate by the opposite principle: an electric charge causes the glass to darken. The advantage if this technology is that you can control the degree of obscurity, and the color of the light reflected. Electro-chromatic windows consist of glass or plastic panes, between which is an electro-chromatic substance, like tungsten oxide in a conducting fluid.

www.CreativeEnergyExteriors.com Central Virginia\’s leading home improvement company and supplier of replacement windows with multiple awards for customer satisfaction and highly skilled installation teams serving Richmond, Charlottesville, Fredericksburg, Williamsburg and surrounding areas.

http://www.creativeenergyexteriors.com/ Central Virginia\’s leading home improvement company and supplier of replacement windows http://www.creativeenergyexteriors.com/windows.html with multiple awards for customer satisfaction.

Author Bio: www.CreativeEnergyExteriors.com Central Virginia\’s leading home improvement company and supplier of replacement windows with multiple awards for customer satisfaction and highly skilled installation teams serving Richmond, Charlottesville, Fredericksburg, Williamsburg and surrounding areas.

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