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Windows that generate their own heat

treehugger.com — This new invention burns up to 25 watts of electricity per square foot by turning the glass into an electric heater . They say it is more energy efficient because it eliminates drafts, and the conventional heating system doesn't have to work as hard."

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  • eyepatch100, on 04/24/2008, -0/+5Also, would-be thieves will be melted if they try to break in.
  • Berkana, on 04/24/2008, -3/+7What ever happened to double or triple paned insulating windows? This is truly an idiotic idea.
    • smurfsahoy, on 04/24/2008, -3/+1You mean the ones that need an airtight seal everywhere, are really hard to see out of, and have to be filled up in between with argon gas?
      • jamesdew, on 04/24/2008, -1/+4they aren't hard to see out of
      • Astaro, on 04/24/2008, -2/+3No, we mean the ones that are installed properly, so you don't get draughts, are crystal clear, and are ventilated so that condensation doesn't build up between the panes.

        the only reason to put argon between the sheets would be to turn them into some form of neon-light.
        • jamesdew, on 04/24/2008, -0/+0that would be cool
        • smurfsahoy, on 04/24/2008, -0/+4Incorrect. Argon is less heat conductive, more viscous, and more slow-moving, thus minimizing the convection currents between panes as well as the conduction of heat from inside or outside. It's pretty much the standard today in multi-paned windows. Nice job on your research.
        • Berkana, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1If they wanted it to be even less thermally conductive, they could fill it up with radon; that might even provide a bit of extra heat, along with a dose of radiation. ^_~
    • atact88, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1They don't have to be filled up with argon. Good 'ol air is a pretty good insulator too. Better than this crap, anyways.
    • Ramble, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1Err, because they're more expensive?
  • Synrak, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1I too find it hard to believe that it can "provide welcoming warmth without increasing your energy bills."
    I wonder what happens if the glass breaks... :P
    • davidlow, on 04/24/2008, -0/+4The article (aka advertising brochure) doesn't explain it very well, but what's going on here is a reduction of temperature variability within the room/building. So the conventional heating system no longer has to overheat parts of the space just to combat drafts and cold floors.

      Typically when it's very cold outside, the cold air inside near the floor makes you feel cold so the heater has to work extra hard to compensate. Same thing with drafts near the window.
  • lacreme, on 04/24/2008, -0/+11gah, I thought it was some sort of window that converted light into heat. :(
    • AzureRise, on 04/24/2008, -1/+4Me too. Someone get working on that so us intelligent people can benefit from it while some idiot in youtube can put a bunch of them together to turn them into a heat ray and do something stupid.
      • Suricou, on 04/24/2008, -0/+4I suggest you paint the window black. That will convert light into heat.
    • headband, on 04/24/2008, -1/+1exactly, they do not generate heat they are just window/heater combos
  • icepick314, on 04/24/2008, -3/+2but what happens in summer?

    your house turns into an oven?
    • smurfsahoy, on 04/24/2008, -0/+7you turn them off... I guess your house constantly catches on fire too, cause you don't know what to do with your oven after cooking things?
  • clickx, on 04/24/2008, -1/+1so wtf. Do you plug the windows into the electrical socket? I dunno, I think this is gonna make a lot of people mad.
  • Oppslagsverk, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1I want one in my bed... Under the mattress of course.
  • ligius, on 04/24/2008, -0/+2Windows can generate heat. Just type while (1){ } and no more idle time for coolers.
  • omgoptimized, on 04/24/2008, -1/+4Damn, I switched to Linux.
  • Mickeh65, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1Oh I get it... it's not a computer OS.
  • Stormwern, on 04/24/2008, -1/+2You'd heat the outside air much more than the inside, really stupid.
  • CitrusC, on 04/24/2008, -0/+0Don't we already have car wind shields that do something like this?

    ...that that I'm suggesting you replace your house's windows with wind shields, more that the technology has already been given an application.
  • nolesfan247, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1Of course they generate their own heat...my laptop feels like it will burst into flames when I load Vista up!
  • JustinTX, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1I thought someone wrote another article about my Prescott P4. It consumes 450 watts and elevates the temperature of any room by at least 5*F.
  • thespiff, on 04/24/2008, -0/+2These are heated windows, not windows that generate their own heat. The only value of this is for what they mentioned in the article...rich people who live in cold weather and want big windows without drafts. Stupid technology.
  • lelux, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1Yeah, Windows ME sure did suck
  • jimjoke, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1So true. My PII running Vista heats up my basement something wicked.
  • norcalscan, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1Dugg for the guy who told his girlfriend to go stand by the window to warm up after taking a shower
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