Better Windows

From Energy Drains to Thermal Fortresses

E.J.

Feb 08, 2026

∙ Paid

They are right in front of most of us, yet their impacts are somewhat hidden in plain sight.

I am speaking about buildings. Buildings account for roughly 40% of global energy consumption—a staggering figure that covers everything from what goes into erecting them to the cost of maintaining them. Yet even as we digest this information, we may not be considering the architectural feature most responsible for this waste: the window. It is that hallmark of the modern suite which defines many executive offices, offering the distraction and thought-clearing respite of the outside world.

Our windows are important, they are undoubtedly the feature of the majority of modern office building architecture. But they are also improving.

Optical photographs illustrating high transparency and color rendering of MOCHI-IGUs. (C) 52.5 by 65 cm of 35 mm thickness with R ≈ 3.24 m2 K W−1 and (D) 35 by 50 cm of 37.5 mm thickness with R ≈ 3.65 m2 K W−1 (24), as measured for external and internal temperatures of –4° and 16°C, respectively. — Optical photographs illustrating high transparency and color rendering of MOCHI window tech. Image courtesy of Science

And not just in clarity.

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