Mark Taylor

Researchers at ASU are working on new technology that could lower your air conditioning bill.

In May, a group of researchers was selected by the Department of Energy to receive a $2 million grant to improve the energy efficiency of single pane windows.

The Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy or ARPA-E selected just 14 teams across the country.

Single pane windows are known not to be as energy efficient as their newer counterparts and replacing them in a home can cost thousands of dollars.

“About one-third of all of the U.S. is using single pane windows,” Peter Firth, one of the researchers, said.

He and his team have been working on their unique system since 2013.

“We are taking nanoparticles and dispersing it like a gas, sort of like sand being carried by the wind,” Firth said. “The particles impact, and stick to it forming a film or coating.”

The process differs from the normal wet chemical approach and costs only $1 more per square meter. Firth believes it can save the average family $100 annually.

In addition to keeping the heat out, the coating can also improve sound quality and prevents condensation.

“We can save people that have single pane windows, 12 billion a year in energy savings,” Firth said.

Outside of the grant, Firth and his team plan to commercialize their system within the next year.

“We are working with some of the largest window manufacturers in the country,” Firth said.

With private funding, they hope to be up and running by next summer.