Imagine windows that not only brighten your room but also help produce clean electricity and reduce heat—all without using extra energy. Two innovative technologies are now making this possible: transparent cooling films and multi-functional coloured solar windows. 

The transparent cooling film works like a “sun shield” for glass surfaces. It reflects unwanted heat while allowing light to pass through almost freely. Using a process called passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC), the film releases heat as mid-infrared radiation. This helps lower indoor temperatures, reduces the need for air-conditioning, and can even improve solar panel performance.

Meanwhile, coloured solar concentrator windows go a step further. These transparent panels direct sunlight into photovoltaic cells that generate electricity. Their colourful coatings also help control heat, providing both power generation and cooling in one system.

Both technologies require spectroscopic analysis across ultraviolet (UV), visible, and infrared (IR) light ranges, combined with computer modelling to create efficient organic and inorganic materials. The materials are first tested in small sizes, then scaled up and evaluated under real-world tropical conditions to ensure long-term durability and performance. These eco-friendly and scalable technologies aim to turn ordinary glass windows and walls into active parts of sustainable buildings.

A key scientist in this research collaboration is Associate Professor Dr. Firdaus Muhammad Sukki, an expert in solar concentrator technology from Scotland. His work focuses on improving optical systems to make solar panels more cost-effective. “The goal of solar concentrator technology is simple,” he says. “By focusing sunlight more efficiently, we can reduce material costs by up to 30% while maintaining full power output. This makes clean energy more affordable and accessible for everyone.”

 

View through modern double-glazed window glazing, highlighting clear insulated glass that reduces heat loss

and external noise while preserving natural light during winter in Europe.

 

To monitor and improve the performance of these technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) and image processing also play an important role. Dr. Lili Nurliyana Abdullah from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and her team are interested with algorithms that analyze high-resolution visual and thermal data to understand how sunlight interacts with the films and concentrators. Using machine learning, the system can predict performance under different sunlight, temperature, and humidity conditions—allowing real-time optimization of the materials.

Dr. João Henrique Zimnoch dos Santos, a professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil is an expert in sol-gel chemistry for the development of transparent TiOâ‚‚ thin films used as anti-reflection coatings. Meanwhile, Dr. Pedro Guerrero, from the University of the Basque Country and the Basque Center for Materials, Applications, and Nanostructures in Spain, has alrge experience in organic photovoltaic materials that improve solar efficiency through sustainable design.

It is my hope that the Asian and European researchers will build a new generation of smart building materials, where windows and walls can both cool and power our spaces. Through innovation in materials science, optics, and artificial intelligence, the dream of cooler, cleaner, and greener buildings is becoming a reality.

 

 

Prepared by: Dr Mohd Rashidi Abdull Manap AMRSC, FSSM, a faculty member at the Department of Chemistry, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).

 

Date of Input: 09/01/2026 | Updated: 09/01/2026 | hidayahsaleh