Mirror-Coated Smart Mirrors Let in Light while Regulating Heat

May-11-18 Innovative windows coated in mini mirrors could offer a simple way to keep heat out while letting light in.

Developed by teams at EPFL and Empa, the windows eliminate the need for a power source or complex mechanisms, relying instead on a laser-grooved microstructure with tiny Compound Parabolic Concentrator lenses evaporated into the surface pores. Once attached to the glass, the tiny mirror array will reflect sunlight into the room, illuminating the interior more efficiently. The mirrors’ angles are also set so that they reflect light and heat away in the summer, while allowing more light and warmth to enter in the winter, when the sun is lower in the sky.

Image: The Empa laser system used to create the prototype material

More Info about this Invention:

[NEWATLAS.COM]
[EMPA.CH]

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