GLEN ALLEN, Va., July 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Industry analyst firm n-tech Research today announced the release of a new report titled "Smart Windows Materials Markets: 2015-2022."  According to this report, materials used in smart windows will grow to around $760 billion by 2020.  Coverage includes materials based on electrochromics, thermochromics, photochromics, electrophoretics, SPD, PDLC, hydrogels and microblinds. The report also discusses opportunities in film and glass substrates used for smart windows.

This report is the latest from n-tech's extensive coverage of smart materials.  Other related n-tech reports include studies of smart coatings, smart surfaces, self-healing materials and building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV).  n-tech has provided coverage of the smart materials business for over six years and believes that smart windows are among the most commercially promising smart building products.

Details about the report, including a downloadable excerpt, are available at: http://ntechresearch.com/market_reports/smart-windows-materials-markets-2015-2022

About the report:

This report quantifies the markets for smart windows materials used in buildings, as well as in transportation.  It provides eight-year forecasts for smart windows materials, with breakouts for the various types of materials used in each application.  It also discusses the business models currently being employed by the firms in smart windows materials business.

Companies discussed in this report include: 3M, Asahi Glass, BASF, Chameleon Photochromic Smart Film, Chromogenics, Commonwealth Glass, Coolkote, Corning, DuPont, Eastman Chemical/Solutia, Eastman Chemicals, GE, Gentex, , GlasNovations, Guardian Industries, Hitachi, HP, Johnson Laminations, Materion, Merck, Mitsubishi, NDFOS, NSG, Pleotint, PPG, Ravenwindow, Research Frontiers, Sage, Saint-Gobain, Schott, Scienstry, SKC, Soladigm, Southwall, SolutiaSolvay, Suntek, SWITCH Materials, Toray, Transition Window Tint, US e-Chromics, and View.

From the report:

Smart windows are primarily a materials play, but none of the materials platforms that have yet emerged  in the smart windows space are without problems. There remain many opportunities for improved and entirely new smart windows materials, although electrochromic (EC) materials have a short-term advantage at the present time.  By 2020, n-tech believes that revenues from EC glass and film will reach $620 million.

No technology has established a strong enough lead as yet to constitute a significant barrier to entry. Three new technologies (electrophoretics, electrowetting and hydrogels) have entered since n-tech last produced a report on smart windows materials opportunities.  These new materials will take time to generate revenues, but may lead to the formation of new startups in the smart windows space. New uses for electrophoretic and electrowetting may bring new opportunities for firms currently active in the flagging e-paper business.

Other existing smart windows materials are expected to find niche markets in which they are quite successful. SPD has had success in the automotive sector and is making inroads into the aircraft industry.  PDLC is a popular choice for dynamic privacy glass. Revenues from SPD and PDLC in 2020 are expected to reach almost $80 millions. 

There are many other opportunities to create variations on existing material platforms. For example, some smart windows firms are looking at adding multiple colors to windows.  Others want to lower coststhrough the introduction of new materials or additives .  There are plenty of options to choose from – for example, almost all inorganic materials exhibit some level of thermochromism.

About n-tech:

n-tech Research is the rebrand of NanoMarkets.  The firm tracks and analyzes emerging markets in energy, electronics, durable goods, and other areas created by developments in smart materials. The firm is a recognized leader in industry analysis and forecasts in all of these areas.  Visit http://www.ntechresearch.com for a full listing of the firm's reports and other services.

SOURCE n-tech Research

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