Commercializing multiband-regulating electrochromic smart windows through a chemical product engineering strategy

Ya Huang

Siming Zhao

Fan Lan

Rufan Zhang

1,2,*

*Correspondence to: Rufan Zhang, Beijing Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Reaction Engineering and Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084,China; State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Low-Carbon Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China. E-mail: zhangrufan@tsinghua.edu.cn

Smart Mater Devices. 2027;3:202664. 10.70401/smd.2026.0064

Received: September 02, 2026Accepted: November 02, 2026Published: November 04, 2026

This article belongs to the Special lssue Smart Windows with Stimuli-Responsive Properties

This manuscript is made available in its unedited form to allow early access to the reported findings. Further editing will be completed before final publication. As such, the content may include errors, and standard legal disclaimers are applicable.

Abstract

Multiband-regulating electrochromic smart windows (MRESWs) extend electrochromic control across the visible, near-infrared, and mid-infrared regions, enabling coordinated control of daylight, solar heat gain, and thermal radiation. Recent advances in materials, device architectures, and spectral regulation have demonstrated their considerable potential for building energy management. However, translating these laboratory achievements into practical window products remains challenging, particularly in material and device design, large-area manufacturing, long-term reliability, and building-level economic viability. This perspective discusses these key barriers and proposes a chemical product engineering strategy for the future development of MRESWs. In this framework, building requirements are first translated into product specifications, which subsequently guide material selection, device architecture, manufacturing, and reliability design, while building performance and economic evaluation provide feedback for further optimization. Integrating these considerations throughout the development process may accelerate the transition of MRESWs from advanced spectral regulation toward scalable and practical building products.

Keywords

Multiband, regulation, electrochromic smart windows, chemical product engineering, commercialization, large-area manufacturing, reliability, building energy efficiency

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Huang Y, Zhao S, Lan F, Zhang R. Commercializing multiband-regulating electrochromic smart windows through a chemical product engineering strategy. Smart Mater Devices. 2027;3:202664. https://doi.org/10.70401/smd.2026.0064