Self-powered Electrochromic Windows for Smart Homes Realized by Hybridizing Enhanced Perovskite Solar Cells

Abstract

To reduce the cooling and lighting requirements in skyscrapers and increase residential comfort, smart window technologies have been developed to dynamically control the optical transmission of the visible and near-infrared light in the solar spectrum. In this work, we report self-powered electrochromic windows realized by hybridizing enhanced perovskite solar cells. The obtained electrochromic windows, which are powered by tandem solar cells with a voltage of ~2.0 V, exhibit a quick switching time of 9 s and an evident transmittance contrast (~70%) between the colored and bleached states. In practical use, the melting time per unit mass of ice sealed in a glass room could be extended by nearly 20%, exhibiting a good cooling effect. The hybrid system can accelerate the deployment of energy-saving technologies.