Jun 13 2013
Industry analyst firm NanoMarkets today announced the release of its new report, "Worldwide Smart Windows Markets 2013-2020." This report analyzes and forecasts opportunities for smart (self-dimming) windows in residential buildings, commercial real estate, automobiles and trucks, aircraft and public transportation.
It also includes more than 70 exhibits providing detailed market projections – in both value and volume (square meters) terms -- with breakouts by technology and applications. Technology coverage includes: passive retrofit films, thermochromics, and photochromics, along with PDLC, SPD and electrochromics. Both film and glass products are included.
Firms mention in the report include: 3M, Asahi Glass, Audi, BMW, Boeing, Cardinal, Chromogenics, Corning, DuPont, DuPont Teijin, Garware, Guardian, Gentex, GKN, GlasNovations, Glassonice, Innovative Glass, InvisiShade, LTI, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, NSG/Pilkington, Pleotint, Polytronix, PPG, Pro Display, RavenBrick, Research Frontiers, Sage, Saint-Gobain, Samsung, Scienstry, Sekisui, SKC, SmartGlass, Solutia/Eastman Chemical, Schott, SPD Control Systems, SwitchLite, Switch Materials, Toray, US e-Chromics, Velux, View, Vision Systems, Volkswagen, Xinology and Zeledyne.
NanoMarkets estimates that the market for smart windows is about $2.3 billion today, growing to $4.7 billion by 2018 and $5.3 billion by 2020.
Additional details about the report are available at: http://www.nanomarkets.net
The firm has announced that it will be co-hosting a webinar on Smart Windows with the FlexTech Alliance on Wednesday, June 26th. Persons interested in registering to attend may do so at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/519180638
From the Report:
- NanoMarkets' research indicates that smart windows still have to overcome a perception problem. Many Architects and construction firms still tend to view smart windows as expensive and low performing. Another trap for smart windows companies is misreading the recovery in the real estate markets around the world. This may turn out to be temporary. If so smart windows firms may overinvest and see a rapid decline in profitability if real estate markets go into a slump again.
- NanoMarkets believes that the fastest growing market for smart windows over the period being considered will be for active smart window glass. This is already a substantial market – just over $1 billion – and is expected to reach $2.7 billion by 2018. Active glass windows combines the transparency of glass with full control of both light and heat and can be used both for buildings and vehicles.
- While the U.S. will continue to be the largest market for smart windows, China is where the greatest growth opportunities in the smart windows sector will be found. Currently the market for smart windows in China is around $285 million, growing to $740 million in 2018. Many of the new commercial buildings in China are LEED-certified, making them very suitable for smart windows use. Also, these buildings are designed by large Western architectural firms with a strong familiarity with smart windows. In addition, the Chinese market for luxury cars – the kind of car most likely to use smart windows -- is growing fast and will soon overtake the U.S. market. We expect that by 2020, China will account for 23.8 percent of the smart windows market in cars and light automobile vehicles followed by the U.S. at 21.8 percent. It also seems likely that as smart windows technology is transferred to China, new Chinese smart windows firms will begin to emerge.