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Technology Stocks : Research Frontiers (REFR) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Zeev Hed who wrote (1042)	10/12/1998 10:22:00 PM
From: Alastair McIntosh	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50136

Zeev, are you familiar with the electrochromic research of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory? Do you have an opinion of the chances of commercialization prospects of their technology and any probable cost advantages/disadvantages over REFR's technology? Photoelectrochemical Electrochromic "Smart" Windows and Displays NREL researchers have combined recent advances in photoelectrochemistry with electrochromic technology to produce "smart windows" that are self-powered and self-controlled. NREL researchers coated the counterelectrode of a "Grätzel cell"—a liquid-junction solar cell based on dye-sensitized nanocrystalline titanium dioxide—with electrochromic film and added the chemical "trigger" for the electrochromic film to the electrolyte solution. The result is a single-element device—requiring no external power source or sensors—that darkens when exposed to sunlight and clears when no longer sunlit. Unlike simple photochromic reactions (photogrey glasses), however, there are two separate processes involved, and both the photovoltaic and electrochromic processes can be optimized and adjusted. Also, because both darkening and clearing occur as a result of a complete electrical circuit, either state can be preserved by breaking the circuit with an external switch. In warm climates, the windows could be kept "on" year-round to reduce solar heating and air-conditioning needs. In cold climates they could be turned off in the winter. The TiO2 electrode and electrochromic film can be easily applied to commercially available tin-oxide-coated (electrical connection) glass, so NREL's photoelectrochromic technology should lend itself to inexpensive mass-production processes. With an electrolyte layer that is thin relative to the cell area, the electrochromic reaction is confined to areas that are directly illuminated. This makes it possible to use the technology for optical displays or optical switches as well as for smart windows. NREL is seeking industrial partners—most likely glass or thin-film manufacturers—to help perfect and commercialize this highly promising technology. Refer to: info.nrel.gov