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BGU Researchers Develop “Green Window” Technology

BGU Researchers Develop “Green Window” Technology

March 4, 2009

Business & Management, Press Releases

BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL — March 3, 2009 — Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers have developed a new highly 
energy-efficient window technology, featuring two reversible panes that will save energy all year round in homes and office buildings.

“The ‘Seasons Window’ features the only glazing system that permits effective passive heating in winter without glare or high radiant temperature near a window and reduces unwanted solar gains in summer without obstructing the view outdoors,” explains Prof. Evyatar Erell, a researcher at BGU’s Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research.  

The reversible window system technology features two panes: one clear, airtight pane and a smaller, tinted glass with an opening on top and bottom, which allows air to circulate between the panes. 

The window panes are fixed to a single frame and can be swiveled easily during seasonal changes – or even on a daily basis, in response to changing weather. 

The window system is intended for buildings in sunny regions with distinct hot and cold seasons.

In winter, short-wave solar radiation is transmitted through the clear glass, and is absorbed by the tinted glass which faces indoors. 

The interior is heated in two ways: by long-wave radiation emitted from the warm tinted pane, and by heating of the air in contact with the warm glass, which flows through the gap between the panes and returns to a room as much as 20°c. warmer. 

The clear pane — preferably double-glazed with a low-E (emittance) coating — traps heat inside the building. 

In summer, the glass panes are easily rotated so the tinted glass faces outward and absorbs the warm solar rays.  This pane is then cooled by the outside air circulating between the two panes.  The clear glass pane, which is on the interior, absorbs unwanted infrared radiation from the warmer exterior pane and helps to reduce a building’s cooling loads.

According to co-developer and BGU Prof. Yair Etzion, “The heat lost in houses in various regions depends on both climate and on design and construction.”

A common indicator is energy required to heat or cool a building, per unit floor area per year, with values ranging from zero to more typical values of 150-300 kilowatts in many older buildings in the United States and Europe. 

“By converting solar radiation into heat, our new green window solution conserves energy and saves money over time.”


The windows will be produced and marketed in Israel by Alubin, an aluminum company.

ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY

By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.

About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.

We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.

BGU at a glance:  

20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.

 

For all press inquiries, please contact:

James Fattal, J Cubed Communications

516.289.1496

[email protected]