To allow more daylighting and protect against direct solar radiation, the system may include a window shading system that impacts an area (or area of interest). The system may adjust different window shades in different ways and for different periods of time to protect against a direct solar radiation onto an area of interest. The system may provide targeted shadows onto the area of interest. The system may also analyze or predict angles of solar rays that comprise the direct solar radiation and determine an impact of the solar rays on the area of interest, wherein the adjusting of window shades is based on the determining.

An optical switching device comprising a polarisation layer and a switching layer which comprises a liquid-crystalline material and a dye compound. Use of the optical switching device for the regulation of the passage of light through an area element. A window element which has the optical switching device therein.

The present disclosure provides a smart window including a first base layer and a second base layer positioned to face each other; a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer respectively positioned at inner surfaces of the first base layer and the second base layer; and an electrolyte layer interposed between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, wherein the first conductive layer includes a plurality of first nanostructures, and the second conductive layer includes a plurality of second nanostructures having a different average length from the plurality of first nanostructures.

An electrical control system for controlling a variable transmittance window is disclosed. The system comprises a driver circuit in communication with an electro-optic element. A controller is in communication with the driver circuit. The controller is configured to identify a temperature condition of the electro-optic element and adjust an output voltage supplied to the electro-optic element in response to the temperature condition.

A shading assembly configured to have a first selectable state that is transmissive to more than 40% of solar light and reflects more than 35% of solar heat, a second selectable state that blocks more than 75% of the solar light and transmits more than 50% of the solar heat, and a third selectable state that transmits more than 50% of the solar light and more than 50% of the solar heat.

Disclosed are platforms for communicating among one or more otherwise independent systems involved in controlling functions of buildings or other sites having switchable optical devices deployed therein. Such independent systems include a window control system and one or more other independent systems such as systems that control residential home products (e.g., thermostats, smoke alarms, etc.), HVAC systems, security systems, lighting control systems, and the like. Together the systems control and/or monitor multiple features and/or products, including switchable windows and other infrastructure of a site, which may be a commercial, residential, or public site.

A translucent or transparent film or sheet device shows angular-independent IR reflectance, which comprises a substrate (1) covered with a layer of a dielectric high refractive index material (4) containing a thin metallic layer (3) embedded in said material, and a further layer (5) of translucent or transparent material covering said layer (4) of dielectric high refractive index material, characterized in that the embedded metal layer (3) is periodically interrupted with a periodicity of 50 to 800 nm such that metal covers at least 70% of the substrate area. The device may advantageously be integrated into a window, a glass facade element or especially onto a photovoltaic (PV) device, where it reduces the fraction of IR radiation passing into the building, or reduces heat take-up and thus lowers the operating temperature and improves the efficiency of the PV cell.

A device comprising a dimmable panel comprising a plurality of individually dimmable cells attached to a window glass, an optical sensor to detect an image of one or more objects, a computation unit, communicably coupled to the dimmable panel and the optical sensor, to: i) cause to darken one or more cells of the plurality of individual dimmable cells of the dimmable panel, ii) cause the optical sensor to capture an image of the one or more objects, and, iii) determine, based on the image, whether a shadow is cast on the one or more objects due to the one or more darkened cells.

A daylighting device of the present invention includes: a daylighting member including: a first light-transmitting base member; and a plurality of protruding, light-transmitting daylighting sections provided on a first face or a second face of the first light-transmitting base member; and a ventilation hole configured to enable a space on the first face to communicate with a space on the second face opposite from the first face.

A skylight for a building includes a solar panel arranged within the skylight, the solar panel comprising one or more photovoltaic cells to collect direct radiation from rays of sunlight for conversion to electrical power, and an optical element to receive the direct radiation and refract it to the solar panel, and to receive the direct radiation and diffuse radiation scattered from the rays of sunlight and refract the direct radiation and the diffuse radiation through the skylight, bypassing the solar panel, to provide daylighting in the building.