Authored by: Yiwei Hu, Ruoling Li, Jizhou Hu, Haocheng Xiang, Tianyi Xu
Summary
Our project is focusing on designing an innovative, automated, and sustainable window system, which is applied mainly on residential households and communities. Inspired by the significant portion of costs of cooling appliances such as air-conditioners in electric bills, we took a thorough and deep research on energy consumption of these appliances, such as emissions of greenhouse gases (mainly carbon dioxide) and sustainable ways to replace them. Then, we were triggered by passive housing, an extensively sustainable concept proposed for easing intensifying environmental problems. Instead of designing a passive house, we decided to mainly focus on a crucial contraption after heated discussions — the window. In this way, we narrowed down this generalized topic and took up inventing a self-designed system.
Based on this idea, our group identified a few challenges: designing and simplifying the system, selecting schemes on the market, testing the efficiency of the product, applying on residential communities, and publicizing the product. Through thorough research, we generated solutions regarding the passive window system as the main body and proposed some sub-solutions: evaporative cooling, geothermal cooling, radiant cooling, and automated housing. At the same time, in order to better evaluate the solution, we determined a few criteria as the key parameters, such as efficiency, price, duration, operation complexity, and maintenance fees. As a result, the window system ranked the highest, which was apparent for our emphasis and efforts on it.
Then, we conducted an action plan associated with the practice of simulating and testing the efficiency of the product as well as establishing a private limited company to publicize our product through sustainable approaches. The action plan includes three stages. During the first stage, we simulated the prototype under a self-built environment and then tested the efficiency of the membranes and the window by measuring the temperature change. At the same time, we proceeded with humanity approaches such as publishing scientific articles on We-Chat Official account and collaborating with school scientific clubs to invite professors.
Under the second stage, we installed the window system on volunteers’ households to gain more objective feedback and handle potential problems. Furthermore, we clarified on the disposal of garbage by illustrating classification posters and contacting delivery systems.
During the third stage, we took a further step by establishing a company to publicize our product through market strategies, prospect planning, and service expansion. Moreover, we received feedback from previous users and improved our product by eliminating any potential problems through sustainable ways.
In the future, we would focus more on safety issues and pay more attention to aesthetic value. All in all, we have collaborated with each other well and progressively, targeting our sustainable goals as the ultimate accomplishment that we are pursuing forever.
Choose the Topic
Passive windows are a promising and important approach to addressing the carbon footprint on a global scale through the engineering and mechanism of the windows. This approach is often combined and included in a more general term—passive houses—which utilize a series of green techniques to offer tangible results, including energy efficiencies, sustainability, and utilities.
Passive house is a voluntary set of building standards that aim to create houses and other structures that are comfortable and healthy yet consume very little energy. It is not a brand name but a construction concept that can be applied by anyone. Yet, a passive house is more than just a low-energy building. Passive house architectures save heating and cooling-related energy savings up to 90% compared with typical building stock and over 75% compared to average conventional buildings. With regard to heating oil, Passive House buildings use less than 1.5 liters per square meter of living space per year—far less than typical low-energy buildings. Similar energy savings have been demonstrated in warm climates where buildings require more energy for cooling than heating.
This is achieved via five principles: continuous insulation, airtight construction, optimized windows, balanced ventilation, and minimal mechanical systems. The notion was developed by Swedish structural engineer Bo Adamson and German physicist Wolfgang Feist, initially as a conversation in 1988; the research projects that followed led to the principles and recommended performance goals. One of the seminal goals they looked at was to help pioneer energy-efficient housing and lead the way to build standards.
Nowadays, as the climate crisis weighs more heavily on the nanosecond and sustainability gradually becomes the central theme in international conferences, we want to take a closer look. After thorough research, we find that the passive window doesn't develop as completely as others in the current industry, or, in other words, only a few designs are available and are extremely expensive. This is why we finally decided to design a brand new passive window that is affordable for everyone.
Identify a Root Cause
The automatic window is designed to solve the over-consumption of electricity by controlling the indoor temperature passively (without generating heat or cooling initiatively). With the rapid development of the global economy and the acceleration of urbanization, the environmental requirements of residents gradually increase, and the air conditioner has become an indispensable part of people’s life. Recently, the limitation of traditional temperature control equipment is exposed by the development of population, the global political conflict, and the rising environmental awareness.
Denser Population
Due to the explosion of population and the shortage of non-renewable sources, more and more regions present electricity shortages and enact power ration policies. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the global population has increased by about 30%. Recently, the global drought reduced the power output of hydroelectric plants to a great extent. To overcome this temporary issue, Sichuan Province, China, unveiled a fresh power rationing policy to regulate local industrial power consumption and encourage residents to save energy in their daily life.
Energy Shortage
In addition to the problems caused by the development of civilization, the international political environment made the trade and transportation of natural gas and coal quite difficult. Originally, Russia produces 22,728,734 million cubic feet of natural gas per year, ranking 2nd in the world. After the beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine, Russia cut off the natural gas of Europe. The halt in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline means Russian gas shipments have fallen 89% from a year ago. Russia used to supply 40% of Europe's natural gas, and even more to Germany, where inexpensive energy was a pillar of the economy. Many European citizens are concerning about how they can spend their next winter successfully and warmly. Under the condition that the power supply can no longer support thermostats, the importance of energy conservation buildings is shown clearly. The low mechanical thermostats determined that they are not qualified for the job during energy shortage. By contrast, taking advantage of the environment and considering how to save this temperature indoors is the main function of our automatic window.
Rising Environmental Awareness
The deterioration of the global climate and the decreasing biodiversity make more and more governments and people realize the importance of saving energy and protecting the whole ecosystem. The CO2 emission in 2022 is 34 billion tons each year, which is about 6 times larger than the one in the 1950s. Many environmental problems, such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and farming, can be caused by global warming. Therefore, many people and organizations begin to advocate a low-carbon lifestyle.
Generate Solutions
The inefficiency of air conditioners has already been a difficult problem that must be solved due to their extremely high energy cost and high maintenance fee. Therefore, there is a tendency to find new solutions to take the place of air-conditioners that can provide comfortable environmental conditions and low cost at the same time. In the following sections, we will list several possible solutions and evaluate them each.
Solution 1: Passive Windows Based on Automatically Monitoring Window Film System
A passive window product that is based on a monitoring system includes temperature-based and humidity-based membranes in order to reduce the consumption of electric energy and accomplishes the goal of saving electric energy. Its principle is to use different kinds of window membranes to isolate the inside from the outside or keep heat and radiation convection when the temperature is too high or too low, and when the shift is automatically triggered by the temperature and humidity sensors. Under this circumstance, as the product can store the heat caused by air penetration through the envelope or through the solar radiation, it finally can control and mediate the room temperature. At the same time, the heat and ultraviolet light insulating films can automatically roll up and down through the motor when the user needs it. The window mainly consists of two parts: the outer part and the inner part. The outer part is a double-glazed window with two heat-insulating window films which are responsible for maintaining the temperature during hot and cold seasons respectively. The inner part contains intensity sensors, temperature sensors, and humidity sensors, along with a circuit and a direct-current permanent magnetic motor which receives signals and switches the membranes to control the whole system.
Solution 2: Evaporative Cooler
The evaporative cooling system is a device that reduces the air temperature before it is integrated into the households. The device passes outdoor air over water-saturated pads, and then the water in the pads evaporates, cooling the air and pushing the air into the home, and creating the breeze effect that also cools the space. Evaporative coolers cost about one-half as much to install as central air conditioners and use about one-quarter as much energy, and it is able to reduce the air temperature by 5 to 10 degrees Celsius. As a result, it is a natural and energy-efficient means of cooling. This cooling system works best in arid climate zones where humid air is cooler than dry air. However, evaporative coolers require more frequent maintenance than refrigerated air conditioners, and they're only suitable for areas with low humidity.
Solution 3: Geothermal Cooling
Geothermal cooling is a type of renewable energy system that moves heat from a building to the earth's surface below, using the ground like a heat sink. Geothermal heating and cooling systems take advantage of the stable temperatures underground using a piping system, commonly referred to as a "loop". Water circulates in the loop to exchange heat between the home, the ground source heat pump, and the earth, providing geothermal heating, cooling, and hot water at remarkably high efficiencies. The major advantages of geothermal AC include efficiency, cost, convenience, and sustainability. With regard to efficiency, installing a geothermal air conditioner can reduce the use of electricity by 25 to 50 percent. In terms of cost, the system tends to have a higher upfront cost but lower operational costs. Considering its cooling performance, this system is able to reduce the temperature by 12 degrees Celsius. Moreover, a geothermal cooling system pump lasts well over 20 years, and the underground looping system lasts well over 50 years.
Solution 4: Radiant Cooling
Radiant cooling is a mechanism that cools a floor or ceiling by absorbing the heat radiated from the rest of the room. Radiant cooling works by absorbing heat in a room through systems installed in the floor or ceiling. Typically, these systems use aluminum panels that circulate chilled water to absorb the heat. Radiant cooling is significantly more energy-efficient than forced air systems. And, in hot summer months, the energy benefit is even more pronounced as air conditioners notoriously demand an exorbitant amount of energy. This type of cooling is best in arid environments, since condensation and mold can be serious concerns.
Solution 5: Passive Housing
Passive house is a design and construction standard that aims to drastically reduce heating requirements at homes so that oversized conventional heating systems are no longer necessary. Passive houses are built to optimize thermal gain and minimize thermal losses. This means that the energy required to heat a passive house is 90% lower than that of other buildings. Passive homes therefore do not rely on traditional heating sources like furnaces or boilers. Instead, they use renewable energy sources like solar panels, geothermal energy, or heat pumps. In this case, the homes maintain constant temperatures and do not rely on unnecessary, extravagant amounts of fossil fuels to continually heat and cool.
Identify the Criteria
In this section, we will list the criteria and parameters to help us determine which solution is the best among the five by evaluating according to the following criteria. At the same time, due to the fact that the passive window is the most important and essential solution for our group among all five solutions, we will also list the respective criteria separately for determining the effectiveness of the components we select in order to make every effort to reach the highest efficiency of the final product.
1) Criteria of Solutions
Feasibility In general terms, feasibility refers to the capability of making things done or come true. Therefore, the feasibility refers to the plausibility of the solution in reality to deal with the reduction of the carbon footprint in this case. Is the plan feasible? Do solutions harm physical health or mental health? Will there be apparent and serious problems in implementing the solutions?
Cost Cost generally determines the applicable range of people for the solutions. This is closely connected with the disposable income of the households (the spare income households possess after the taxes and the payment of necessities). Some people aren’t able to afford the solution even if the product is better than the others in the market. Therefore, the cost of the solutions is important as the parameter in determining the popularity and target customers. How much is the product? Does the cost match the solution’s output? Is the solution cost-efficient?
Effectiveness Effectiveness exhibits the impacts after the implementation of the solutions. This measures the ability of the respective solutions’ effectiveness on our ultimate goal of sustainability. This parameter can somehow be related to the cost to evaluate the overall performance of each solution. How many carbon dioxide can be saved through the solution each year? Does the solution have harsh requirements on specific places and locations? What’s the efficiency of the solution’s theoretical maximum yield?
Popularization and Public Awareness Popularization and public awareness are crucial for the product because the farther the solutions are spread or the higher extents the solutions are accepted by the general public, the better and more efficient the result is. In this way, popularization can be taken into consideration as the criteria for evaluating the solutions. Approximately how many people have gotten in touch with the solutions throughout society? What’s people’s acceptance and satisfaction rate of the solutions? To what extent do these solutions meet the customers’ expectations?
Sustainability As mentioned, sustainability is the most vital criteria as it’s the basis and the ultimate goal of our efforts for long-term improvement. Therefore, we should consider the duration of the solutions and whether they can be recycled to reduce the wastes. Will the solution be long-lasting? Is the solution recyclable or whether the wastes can be properly treated? Can the solution help handle the reduction of the carbon footprint and help preserve the environment?
2) Criteria of the Passive Window Components
The second section identifies the criteria of the passive window components, which act as the parameters for us to select the most suitable and ideal scheme in the market. Due to the fact that different components have different determinants, there should be specific and respective key parameters for each component. Therefore, I will list the parameters of each component below.
Heat Insulation Film
Material
Ultraviolet insulation rate
Heat insulation rate
Light transmission
Price
Light Insulation Film
Material
Ultraviolet insulation rate
Infrared insulation rate
Light transmission
Price
Temperature and Humidity Sensor
Voltage
Temperature range
Humidity range
Size
Price
Permanent Magnetic Synchronous Machine
Power
Voltage
Revolving speed
Size
Price
Evaluate the Solutions
Solution 1: Passive Windows Based on Automatically Monitoring Window Film System
First of all, this plan is highly feasible considering various relevant theses and experiments that our team conducted. It is also the cheapest plan because it entails only an exterior device and does not need the house to be specially designed. Nor does it need special equipment or material and can work with a basic design. What’s more, although this plan may not be as effective in some particular occasions, this plan is good for popularization because it’s efficient and works automatically. It suits various situations and does not have a requirement for the environment.
Solution 2: Evaporative Cooler
The use of an evaporative cooler is a highly-feasible plan that lacks specific merits. The technology used in evaporative cooling is mature and has been under use in various cooling systems designed for specific apparatus and equipment. Compared to regular air conditioners, it is more environmentally friendly as it uses less energy. For regular households, though, it needs to be frequently maintained and will cause a lot of trouble. It does not supersede other plans in terms of effectiveness or cost and serves only as a back-up plan.
Solution 3: Geothermal Cooling
By utilizing geothermal energy, this plan is highly environmentally friendly and will be great in theory. It will also provide hot water, serving multiple functions. It is worth noting that the system is not effective enough because conducting such a practice requires particularly strong geothermal energy, which is not prevalent in most apartments. Although useful in certain locations rich in geothermal energy, the plan is overall ineffective in most regions and will require further improvements to solve the issue.
Solution 4: Radiant Cooling
This plan excels in its low cost by being able to utilize ambient heat and thus has a low maintenance cost. However, the plan is not popular when considering that it is still a rather rare notion, and relevant studies are not enough to support a product that has an overall user-friendly structure, thus it will be hard for people to operate. It’s also not sustainable enough because it only works in an arid environment and will be rendered powerless if the weather changes or the device is moved to another location.
Solution 5: Passive Housing
This is the original version and the most direct implementation of the concept of passive building. Passive housing is highly sustainable as the idea of environmental protection is interwoven in the process of building structure itself. It will also be very effective since specific design opens up many possibilities that can serve various purposes in air conditioning. It is worth noting, though, that the plan will be rather impractical because it involves complex concerns when building the house which will be hard for students like us to take the construction of an entire building into consideration. The cost would also be high since the building has to be specially designed.
Make an Action Plan
What’s the Initiative of the Passive Window System?
In order to tackle exaggerating and aggravating climate change due to intensifying greenhouse effects and emissions, sustainability is becoming a worldwide goal that most countries and universities are pursuing and making efforts to accomplish. By setting up a passive and completely automatic system that controls the membranes itself, the window uses a practical and feasible way to maintain the comforts of residents without consuming huge amounts of electricity that triggers unnecessary wastes as well as raising residents’ sustainable awareness. The action plan serves to clarify on what our sustainable group is planning to do. It’s basically divided into three stages, including design and tests (Stage 1), after-sales services (Stage 2), and business expansion (Stage 3).
Where to Apply the Passive Window System?
To better apply the passive window system, we will first test its efficiency and effectiveness on a sample prototype under appropriate conditions simulating a typical household. After that, we plan to extend the system’s application more widely onto a real residential community where a considerable number of households live in it. This is beneficial because types of households differ within a community. As a result, we are able to investigate the effectiveness and feasibility of the product better and corresponding feedback and problems from the users. At the same time, we will propose the plan to an environmental science professor for advice on its likely impacts on the neighborhood.
The First Stage
During the first stage, we are planning to testify the efficiency of the window through a prototype and trying to raise awareness of carbon emission reduction by attaching significance to current environmental risks through the following approaches.
Technology-based
1) Scheme Selection
The first step our group took was to select appropriate components (membranes, motors, thermometers, etc.) as the components of the window system. We chose the components mainly from two biggest retailing centers in China (Taobao and Jingdong) and selected at least three types of each component for further analysis. In order to show a clearer representation across different types, we made comparison tables for all of the components according to parameters such as humidity and temperature ranges for sensors, revolving speed for motors, and SHGC (solar heat gain coefficient) for films. As a result, we were able to determine the schemes in a straightforward and clear way.
2) Prototype Testing
As our team targets reducing carbon footprint through an innovative, automatic, passive window system, the system should undergo serious and holistic tests, objective and proper for us to improve on the product. Within the first stage, we set up a confined space made up of six pieces of acrylic sheets, simulating a typical room, and then installed the whole window system on one piece of the sheet. After that, we laid a large lamp as a heating source in front of the system to test temperatures of the space under different conditions (including opaque insulating film, transparent insulating film, and without insulating film). The results gathered are therefore extensively useful for us to determine whether the selected scheme reaches the goal of maintaining a comfortable temperature without consuming huge amounts of electricity. More importantly, the results are solid foundations to motivate us for applying onto a wider range such as a real community and incentivize our group to proceed our sustainable tasks into future stages.
Humanity-based
3) Articles on We-Chat Official Account
For the sake of raising deeper awareness of the public and energy free-riders, our sustainable group decided to start an official We-Chat account. This official account DOB (abbreviation of Do Our Best) is a public platform to promote sustainability and environmental affairs via social media such as sharing authorized academic paper, publishing self-written articles, and posing interesting memes, evoking attention on dangers of energy over-consumption on mental, physical health, environment, economics, and social welfare. As well as these measures, we introduce the inspiration and the uses of the window system on the account, evoking social consensus on sustainable development.
4) Speeches and Lectures Across Schools
In order to better publicize sustainability and our product, our group decided to conduct speeches and lectures at schools as our group team of five came from five different schools. In this way, we were able to cooperate with science clubs at school to introduce our passive window system as a case study and also invited some professors majoring in environmental sciences to make speeches at schools in order to further raise awareness. Our speeches about the window system were basically divided into four parts including introduction of the current environment situation, inspiration of the window system, design and effectiveness of the system, and the potential outcome of the environment. Apart from that, we were looking for intercollegiate ambassador standing for our sustainable program as a mediator between schools for answering questions from students who were interested in our program.
The Second Stage
During the second stage, we are focusing on applying the window system practically on some real households as well as working on after-sales services such as maintenance and installation services. In order to properly implement sustainability on installing and disposing window system and better testify the actual effectiveness, we approach from the following ways.
Technology-based
1) Install Window System on Households
To better qualify our passive window system, our group decided to negotiate with our group members’ and some volunteers’ houses. The attempt is not only to make sure that our window system is suitable to install on different kinds of houses (houses facing north or south) and different window frames (fixed, tilt, outswing, awing, and facade systems) but also provides more specific and precise data for us to improve on the product. At the same time, we will adjust some details of the whole system so as to make sure the system works smoothly and properly without delays and problems after having a personal experience inside our rooms and the feedback from volunteers. These are also the bases for us to try advanced styles such as double glazing and green materials such as uPVC (Unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride), clad wood, and aluminum.
Humanity-based
2) Installation and Maintenance Services
For installation service of the window system, we primarily provided two ways: recorded videos and on-site installation services. The recorded videos included detailed and complete procedures to install our window system step-by-step as well as illustrating sustainable methods to dispose the residues as some of the wastes left might be harmful for the environment and were therefore supposed to be recycled properly. As a result, our video contained tips and advice on wisely installing the product in a green way pursuing sustainable goals. On-site installation services were also provided as some people weren’t willing to install the system themselves. During the installation process, we were trained in the most energy-efficient way so as to eliminate any unnecessary wastes. During the installation process, we decided to publicize sustainability as well such as promoting our We-Chat official account. Moreover, when any technical problems existed, we had contact services through We-Chat official account and email available all day for online consulting and on-site handling. We guaranteed that all the maintenance services were free of charge and were handled in the greenest way.
3) Disposing and Delivery Systems
It’s significantly crucial to wisely dispose of the wastes as garbage classification is able to reduce thousand tons of wastes. At the same time, some components can be properly recycled and utilized for some potential uses so that we are able to make full uses of available resources. Although the garbage classification system is set up throughout China, some people are still unaware of the significance. Hence, we decide to make posters about our characteristic “garbage posters” that somewhat incorporates Japan’s system which is also the strictest one in the world. Our posters add vivid images and key words to show disposal in the clearest way. Apart from the disposing system, the delivery system is another crucial system that often unconsciously produces huge amounts of garbage. On our stance, we also provide relevant information for delivery platforms on delivering the window systems. We label the product as “fragile” and need to be packed with carefulness without plastic or card boxes. This will eventually reduce the carbon footprint to a great extent. Furthermore, we provide information such as the installation dates of the window systems and the likely expiration dates for our recycling services. After a period of time, we will recycle the windows as the sample test is over. The information will be automatically sent to the deliverymen's account, and both our team and delivery men will know when the products ought to be recycled.
The Third Stage
During the third stage, we will proceed even further to achieve sustainable goals on humanity and technological aspects: reflecting and analyzing the feedback of the window systems applied on the real community through sample testing in the second stage and expanding our businesses such as utilizing greener materials to reduce resources and inventing more window system types such as double glazing and facade. As a result, our final stage intends on pursuing sustainable consequences as much as possible.
1) Expand Services
Having acquired specific feedback and results from a real community during the second stage, we have a clearer mind about our product and plausible aspects to improve on, devoting to omit all the potential problems as well as maintaining sustainability, durability, quality, and utility. At the same time, we are trying to advance our product by substituting the original glass with more premium and greener materials such as uPVC, clad wood, and aluminum as well as measuring the effectiveness of configurations on the reduction of carbon footprint.
2) Commercialize the Product
For our ultimate goal, we target the commercialization of our product, streamlining it in an efficient and cost-effective way. The product is ideal for helping to address the global environmental issue of climate change by significantly reducing the carbon footprint. We decide to establish "DOB" as a private limited corporation, positioning ourselves as a highly trusted, environmentally friendly, and high-quality enterprise in the market.
Each of the group members will play their own part, including:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
In collaboration, we have plans for potential expenditure, which mainly include five aspects:
Marketing & Sales
Research & Development
Management & Salary
Material & Facilities
Licensing
To guarantee a benign cash flow, we also propose solutions to raise funds in various ways from stakeholders such as the government, potential environmental corporations, banks, and revenue from the sales. Consequently, our group is determined to make every effort to advocate sustainability and green energy, starting with our passive window product.
Prototype and Test
Passive Windows Overview
Passive Windows are intelligent windows designed to automatically maintain room temperature by switching different types of window films. Their principle is to switch films that can isolate or store convection and radiation heat according to temperature and humidity sensors when the temperature is too high or too low. As a result, they meet the need to isolate or store heat caused by air penetration or solar radiation. At the same time, the shading film can automatically cover the window through a deceleration motor when the user needs it, achieving a shading effect.
Composition of Passive Intelligent Windows
Passive intelligent windows are mainly composed of:
Double glass
Window films
Temperature and illumination sensors
Controllers
Circuits
Film-changing devices
Window films are primarily divided into:
Heat insulation film: Used in hot weather to provide cooling effects.
Heat preservation film: Used in cold weather to maintain indoor warmth.
Shading film: Blocks intense light and contributes to a comfortable indoor environment.
Prototype Testing
For the prototype part, to test the efficiency and feasibility of our system, we choose to build a temperature-based system for testing. The expected performance is that if the window senses a high temperature in the indoor environment, it will automatically switch the window membrane into the heat-insulating film. This action will decrease and control the room temperature within a healthy and comfortable range for the human body.
Feedback Learnt From Users
The Actual Effect of Our Product on Controlling Room Temperature
The actual effect of our product on controlling room temperature is measured in two main ways: simulating experiments and honest user feedback. They represent measuring the effectiveness and the rise of potential problems, respectively. We decided to use both because the experiment can present the most direct result without errors, and users' experiences are also needed since this is crucial for updating our product.
Simulating Experiments
First, we designed an experiment and simulated a house's scenario with a light bulb as the heat source to test its effect. To simulate the actual scenario and prevent air movement between the house and the outside, the environment we chose was a sealed acrylic box with the window installed on one side. The volume of the confined space was about one cubic meter. The heat source would provide constant heat for the house. The heat lamp we chose acted as a solar simulator, perfectly simulating artificial sunlight to make our experiment more realistic. The temperature would be recorded at regular time intervals.
The confined space served as the house, and the heat lamp acted as the sun. Our window would be installed on one side of the object, and the temperature would be recorded at regular intervals. As we can see (in file 2), when the confined space was exposed to a constant heat source without any protection for one hour, its temperature would increase to 34°C. If we didn't stop it, it would constantly grow and achieve an uncomfortable condition for the human body. This was why our product was designed.
With the equipment of our product, the temperature could decrease by a maximum of 20 degrees, and it would automatically adjust the room temperature according to different situations, maintaining an average of 22-23°C without any peripheral equipment. This proved the efficiency of our product.
User Feedback
Furthermore, to better understand the user experience and make improvements, we also tried to install our window on real houses and asked for volunteers' feedback. Our prior users were mainly ourselves and volunteers from our communities.
From the feedback, it was clear that 17 out of 20 users believed our prototype design could successfully meet the purpose: to create a comfortable sensible temperature and humidity for the human body without the dry sensation of an air conditioner. However, while most participants stated that the opaque window film does provide a great indoor temperature, 69.7% of them said that the lack of light had greatly diminished the favorability and believed it's urgent to improve the next iteration so users can enjoy the sunlight while the heat-insulating mode is used. (One of them even stated that they will not consider buying our product if the sunlight is unavailable during use.)
At the same time, most people thought they wanted more intricate modes to achieve individual zone temperature control to meet specific needs.
Improvement for Next Iteration
Experiment Results and Ongoing Stage 2
Firstly, for the experiment part, we achieved an overall satisfactory result. Our window could be successfully triggered, and the room temperature was controlled correctly with our product. Our ongoing stage 2 was tested in a simulated environment. The data collected here represented this specific environment but not a generalized condition, as there are more variables in a real community. Therefore, we will proceed to stages 2 and 3, setting our experiment in different places to improve our product and using advanced methods to test each product's capability.
Addressing User Experience Deficiencies
Moreover, we have already noticed the deficiencies in user experiences, such as appearance and noise. To address these issues, our group is actively seeking new materials that could potentially decrease the room temperature without blocking sunlight. Additionally, to prevent similar problems, all window films used in the design will be completely transparent, which will be a vital consideration for building materials in the future.
The noise caused by the spinning motor is also an issue that needs to be resolved. We are exploring solutions to minimize this noise, enhancing the user experience with our product.
Improving Environmental Control
Regarding the inefficiency in setting specific environmental indices, such as humidity and temperature, we have decided to introduce an additional circuit for a new controller and sensor. This upgrade will display the temperature on a viewing screen, allowing for more precise control and user interaction with the system.
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