Smart Windows: Basic Research to Commercial Application

Speaker

Jim Stevens, University of Guelph, Professor Emeritus

Abstract

In 1984 a chance meeting in the hall of the Physics Dept. of Chalmers Institute of Technology started a basic research project that finally led to commercial production 30 years later. Because of environmental and energy conservation concerns there has been a revolution in the technology of windows and privacy screens. This talk will trace the progress of research on electrochromic windows from this encounter in 1984 where the term "Smart" was born and the original research on electrochromic windows was begun. The current state of electrochromic, thermochromic, photochromic and polymer dispersed liquid crystal technology in windows, privacy screens and mirrors will be discussed.