'Heat-proof' glass could save on air-con
August 25, 2004
A new coating for glass that can keep the heat from the sun out, saving on air-conditioning costs, has been developed by scientists in London.
The glass has a microscopic coating that allows glazing to keep heat out of buildings while allowing light to pass through.
The key is a thin coating of vanadium dioxide, around the thickness of a human hair, that is placed on normal window glass.
"This coating can actually be used for modifying the properties of the glass," said Ivan Parkin, of the team at University College London that has developed the coating.
"When put onto a window, it will let in only a certain fraction of the sunlight," he told the BBC World Service programme, Science In Action.
"When the window gets hot, it becomes more reflective. But it only becomes more reflective of the heat portion of the sunlight, not in the visible portion."
More information can be found on the BBC News site.
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