Metasurface-Engineered Glass for Green Buildings

This study numerically investigates and designs, through electromagnetic and ray-tracing simulations, two types of double-sided metasurface thermal insulation glazing to maintain visible light (VIS) transmittance while effectively suppressing near-infrared (NIR) transmission, with a partial reduction in deep-blue (DB) transmission, thus reducing air-conditioning load and lighting energy consumption and contributing to overall building energy efficiency. Both designs were optimized and analyzed entirely through simulations, using structural parameter sweeps and AM 1.5 solar spectrum weighting. Design I is composed of two all-dielectric metasurfaces, aiming to maximize VIS transmittance while partially suppressing DB and reducing NIR transmission. Design II integrates a metallic layer with dielectric structures on the front side and employs an all-dielectric metasurface on the back side to enhance NIR blocking and maintain low transmittance under oblique incidence. Simulation results show that Design II outperforms Design I in NIR suppression, exhibiting lower and more stable transmittance across incident angles, while Design I achieves higher VIS transmittance. These findings present a promising pathway for developing high-performance, lightweight glazing for sustainable buildings, improving energy efficiency by balancing solar heat control and daylight utilization.