Most of us love looking out the window on a nice sunny day. The problem is that the same window can feel like an oven that starts to slowly bake you after a while. That heat also drives up your energy bill and can make city streets hot enough to cook food.

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology reported (via Tech Xplore) that a KAIST research team has developed a new smart window system that could solve a lot of these problems. The technology is called RECM (Reversible Electrodeposition and Electrochromic Mirror) and uses electricity to alternate between three modes that control light, heat, and glare in windows.

Here's why that matters. Buildings consume about 40% of global energy. A lot of that goes into heating or cooling spaces because traditional windows don't block heat or retain well.

Professor Hong Chul Moon and his team at KAIST created RECM to address this. In their words, the technology "goes beyond existing smart window technologies limited to visible light control, presenting a truly smart window platform that comprehensively considers not only active indoor thermal control but also the visual safety of pedestrians."

But what does this window actually do? Think of it like sunglasses, blackout curtains, and a mirror rolled into one.

In its first mode, it stays clear like regular glass. Great for those chilly days when you want sunlight and warmth streaming in.

Switch to the second mode, and it turns a deep blue. Picture a tinted car window. It blocks out prying eyes while keeping rooms cooler by cutting down on some heat.

Then comes the third mode. Here, silver particles coat the glass, turning it into a reflective surface that bounces heat and light away. At the same time, the blue tint absorbs glare. People walking past won't get blinded by harsh reflections anymore.

Researchers at KAIST tested it on a model house to see if it could handle real heat. Normal glass allowed the indoor temperature to rise to a sweltering 137 degrees Fahrenheit in under an hour. RECM's third mode kept it down to about 89 degrees Fahrenheit. That's nearly 48 degrees Fahrenheit cooler — enough to feel the difference between unbearable and comfortable.

Changing between these modes only takes a quick electric signal. No waiting around for the glass to catch up with the weather.

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Professor Hong Chul Moon's team shared its findings in ACS Energy Letters. The researchers believe these smart windows could show up on city buildings, trains, or even cars before long.

Other researchers have made a smart window coating that stays clear while blocking heat and glare. Some teams designed smart glass that adjusts heat and light levels to keep buildings comfy without wasting energy.

Tech like this helps your comfort first. But it's also good news for the environment. Less heat sneaking in means less energy wasted on cooling.

Want to slash your home energy costs another way? Installing solar panels can bring those bills down to near $0. EnergySage offers a free service to compare quotes from trusted local installers and save up to $10,000 on installations.

Cooler rooms, lower bills, safer sidewalks — smart windows like RECM could bring all that within reach.

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