Windows of opportunity [smart windows for light/heat blocking]

Though the technology is still far from commonplace, the glass and window industry has steadily been introducing smart product lines because the market is, potentially, enormous. This article presents the different technologies being developed for smart windows. It details polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal privacy glass, suspended particle display (SPD) technology using electrophoresis, electrochromic layers, and thermochromic materials. For the future, being able to switch heat and light separately seems to be one of the main issues remaining to make smart windows really successful.