Electrochromics

The innovative shading solutions and smart window technology of the Fraunhofer R&D Center for Electromobility Bavaria target automotive, architectural and aircraft markets.

The dimmable smart window solutions provide many advantages:

• They enhance comfort and reduce glare
• They reduce solar heat gain in the interior
• They save energy for air conditioning in vehicles and buildings in summer or in hot climates
• They provide the ability to individually control lighting conditions
• They can be retrofitted to existing windows

The Center uses novel electrochromic materials and customized coating technology. The developments comprise electrochromic glass or flexible films that can be laminated between glass or plastic sheets. They combine excellent transmittance modulation performance with response times in the range of tens of seconds until complete darkening.

The Center offers integrated solutions with maximum substrate variability, complementary active materials and gel/polymer electrolytes. It focuses on smart materials made from:

• Conductive polymers
• Metal complex compounds
• Supramolecular metallo-polyelectrolytes

These materials enable a wide range of colors as well as multicolor effects and IR modulation.

The electrochromic organic or inorganic films can be produced from wet-chemical precursors via fast and cost-effective roll-to-roll processing at low temperatures. Even large scale films are possible.

Properties of the coatings are:

• Low switching voltages of a few Volts
• Power consumption only during color change
• Low current densities during the transition process due to higher coloration efficiency than currently available technology
• High cycling stability even beyond 100.000 cycles (under lab conditions)

The Center develops smart shading solutions with regard to individual customer requirements and assists project ideas in processing and upscaling. In addition, the Center offers to evaluate systems of its customers by means of the latest and sophisticated equipment for electrochemical, spectro-electrochemical, and climate testing.

• Find out more about the EELICON project. 
• Find out more about the FLEX-G project.