ABSTRACT
This chapter will bring us deep into green nanotechnology by considering a range of materials-often in the form of thin lms with nanofeatures-for controlling the radiation going in or out through windows. “Windows” should be taken in a wide sense to include not only apertures in domestic buildings but also transparent façades such as those commonly used in modern commercial buildings. And the windows do not have to be integrated in walls; they can be skylights or any other opening in the envelope in a building. Figure 4.1 serves as a point of departure and shows one emerging type of windows, referred to as “smart” or “switching” windows. These are capable of changing the throughput of visible light and solar energy, thereby giving the user of the building a comfortable indoor climate, as well as minimizing energy for air conditioning while preserving visual indoors-outdoors contact.
