Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning of buildings account for about 15% of the global energy consumption, but about 20% of this building-related energy is lost because of inefficient windows. Is there a solution to this challenging problem? Starting from an overview of the physical principles associated with energy loss through windows, I will describe our development of visibly transparent, infrared-reflecting, thermally super-insulating and mechanically robust materials that may replace or retrofit the inefficient windowpanes of residential and commercial buildings. I will discuss how this technology has much in common with liquid crystal displays and how production of such unusual transparent aerogel materials is aided by bacteria to make them affordable.

© (2018) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Ivan I. Smalyukh, "Liquid crystal aerogels as window retrofitting films (Conference Presentation)," Proc. SPIE 10735, Liquid Crystals XXII, 107350O (Presented at SPIE Organic Photonics + Electronics: August 20, 2018; Published: 18 September 2018); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2322510.5836576172001.