There are a number of technical and socio-economic factors converging to position photovoltaic (PV) windows as a transformative technology for the energy landscape of the future: 1) Urban areas currently account for 67–76% of global final energy consumption. 2) 70% of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050. 3) The overwhelming architectural trend is away from opaque building components and toward all-glass facades. 4) Photovoltaics are becoming extremely affordable, and the most expensive components in a conventional module are the glass and transparent metals—components that are already in highly-insulating glazing. 5) Buildings are increasingly built to easily integrate with photovoltaic energy generation using DC microgrids and on-site energy generation to balance high demand on the grid. Rational design of PV windows is of paramount importance to realize their impact. In this work, we provide an analysis on the theoretical performance of PV windows using a detailed balance model to understand the complex design space of power conversion efficiency, visible light transmittance, solar heat gain coefficient, and color. We find there are two distinct regimes for PV window absorber design. The first low-visible light transmittance regime validates the most prevalent approach to semitransparent PV windows in which conventional absorber materials (Si, CIGS, CdTe, CZTS, perovskite, etc.) are thinned to allow visible light to pass through. In this thinned-absorber regime, an ideal bandgap of ~1.35 eV maximizes performance, which is consistent with the famous Shockley–Queisser limit. However, we identify a second, high visible light transmittance regime in which the ideal bandgap for maximum power conversion efficiency increases monotonically from 2 to 3 eV with increasing visible light transmittance. In this tuned-bandgap regime, the solar cell exhibits lower losses and tunable solar heat gain and color. Urban areas currently account for 67–76% of global final energy consumption1. With urban living expected to increase from roughly half of the world’s population to 70% by the middle of this century2, energy generation and efficiency in the urban built environment is critical to a sustainable energy future3. Though building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) have been in development for many decades4, the rapid decrease in the cost of PV in the past decade makes BIPV an economically tractable direction for on-site energy generation in next-generation buildings5. The architectural trend away from conventional opaque materials and toward all-glass building façades6 makes window-integrated PV the most promising approach to BIPV in the urban environment of the future. Unlike conventional PV technologies that seek to maximize light absorption for high solar-to-electrical power conversion efficiency (𝑃𝐶𝐸), PV windows must reconcile high 𝑃𝐶𝐸 with high visible light transmittance (𝑉𝐿𝑇), controlled solar heat gain coefficient (𝑆𝐻𝐺𝐶), and aesthetically acceptable color7. This challenging balancing act has led to PV window designs that may be subdivided into two main categories: (1) Transparent (also called wavelength-selective8) designs target the ultraviolet (UV) or infrared (IR) regions of the solar spectrum. UV absorbers target a region that is deficient in photons, which severely limits 𝑃𝐶𝐸 compared to absorbers optimized to the solar spectrum. IR absorbers target a region that is rich in photons with high theoretical 𝑃𝐶𝐸9,10 but have only demonstrated experimental 𝑃𝐶𝐸 no greater than 5%11. IR absorbers are composed of complex organic semiconductor materials and are limited by the synthetic challenge of producing materials with a molecular absorption profile that is tuned for strong IR absorption and minimal visible light absorption12. (2) Semitransparent designs are more prevalent in the literature.13,14 Designs span patterned opaque PV elements that allow light through between the elements to luminescent solar concentrator schemes in which chromophores, such as quantum dots15, absorb light in index-matched thin films on glass that waveguide and reemit photons to the window edge where they are converted by conventional PV cells. The most common configuration is the application of thinned absorbers. These schemes tend to have a higher 𝑃𝐶𝐸 than the transparent designs by converting the photon-rich visible portion of the spectrum, but this is achieved with a direct tradeoff for 𝑉𝐿𝑇 and added color. It is critical to the development and practical deployment of PV windows to understand the tradeoffs that shape the complex design space. Though a number of theoretical treatments exist9,10,12,16, a model that reconciles the complete picture of the PV window parameter space does not. Here we develop a detailed balance model that includes analysis of 𝑃𝐶𝐸, 𝑉𝐿𝑇, 𝑆𝐻𝐺𝐶, and color. We identify two distinct regimes for PV window absorber design. The first low-𝑉𝐿𝑇 regime (𝑉𝐿𝑇≤ 0.3) validates the common approach to semitransparent PV window in which conventional absorber materials (Si, CIGS, CdTe, CZTS, perovskite, etc.) are thinned or patterned to allow visible light to pass through. In this thinned-absorber regime, an ideal bandgap of ~1.35 eV maximizes performance, which is consistent with the Shockley–Queisser (S–Q) limit17. We identify a second high-𝑉𝐿𝑇 regime (𝑉𝐿𝑇 > 0.3) in which the ideal bandgap for maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸 increases monotonically from 2 to 3 eV with increasing 𝑉𝐿𝑇. In this tuned-bandgap regime, the solar cell exhibits lower losses, higher 𝑆𝐻𝐺𝐶, and color that trends from yellow to orange and red. PV Window Model In 1961, Shockley and Queisser introduced the detailed balance model to calculate the maximum theoretical efficiency of a p–n junction solar cell (Fig. 1a)17. 𝑃𝐶𝐸 is determined using only the absorber bandgap, solar cell temperature, and incoming solar power flux (𝑄-./). The model applies simple assumptions: (i) All photons above the band gap (𝐸012) are absorbed (step function absorption profile). (ii) Excited carriers thermalize to the band edge and are either collected as converted power (𝑄34.5) or radiatively recombined (radiative limit). Thermalization and radiated power contribute to power lost in the cell (𝑄6477). (iii) The cell temperature (𝑇3899) remains constant, even with thermalization of carriers. Figure 1. a) Diagram illustrating Shockley–Queisser detailed balance model17. b) Detailed balance model developed here highlighting the important metrics for PV window performance (PCE, VLT, SHGC, and color) The S–Q detailed balance model is easily modified to capture different photovoltaic schemes such as tandem cells15,16, intermediate band cells18, nanostructured cells19, thermophotovoltaics20, photon recycling21, and absorbers that undergo multiple exciton generation or singlet fission22. The maximum theoretical efficiency of transparent and semitransparent absorbers has been modeled by Lunt by assuming a step-function cut-off before and after the visible portion of the spectrum to simulate an idealized excitonic absorption of a molecular absorber9. In this work, we first modify the S–Q model to allow 𝑇Cell to be a free variable to enable the thermal analysis of the PV window. Figure 1 shows the power transport mechanisms in the S–Q model (Fig. 1a) along with our additional considerations unique to a PV window (Fig. 1b). A statement of conservation of energy at steady state for a unit surface of PV window yields 𝑄Abs−𝑄ABCC,E−𝑄6477,4−𝑄Conv=0, (1) where 𝑄Abs=𝑄Abs(𝑇Cell) is the absorbed solar power; 𝑄6477,E=𝑄6477,E(𝑇Cell) and 𝑄6477,4=𝑄6477,4(𝑇Cell) are the powers lost to the interior and exterior of the building by convection and thermal radiative emission, respectively. The absorbed power is calculated using 𝑄MN7=O𝛤𝜂 𝑑𝐸, (2) where the solar spectrum is represented by 𝛤=𝛤(𝐸) and assuming one pass of sunlight through the device with an external quantum efficiency of 𝜂=𝜂(𝐸,𝑇Cell)=1−exp(−𝛼𝑊). Note that this definition assumes no reflection at the surface of the window. 𝑊 is the thickness of the absorber layer and 𝛼=𝛼(𝐸,𝑇Cell) is the absorption coefficient. The second modification to the S–Q model is the use of an absorption profile that is not an ideal step-function. We choose a square-root absorption profile characteristic of a direct bandgap semiconductor rather than a molecular absorber, 𝛼=Y𝛽[𝐸−𝐸012𝑘𝑇Cell]^/`, 𝐸≥𝐸bc0 , 𝐸<𝐸bc. (3) where 𝐸012 is the absorber bandgap, 𝑘 is Boltzmann’s constant, 𝐸 is the photon energy, and 𝛽 is a constant to be fit to a particular absorber profile (Fig. S1). The power lost from the window by way of conduction, convection, and thermal emission is calculated from: 𝑄6477,E=𝑈E(𝑇Cell−𝑇E), 𝑄6477,4=𝑈4(𝑇Cell−𝑇4). (4) The power lost to the indoors, 𝑄6477,E, is determined by the overall heat transfer coefficient, 𝑈g, between the absorber and the indoor air at temperature 𝑇E. Power lost to the outdoor air follows analogously. The PV absorber has been assumed to be isothermal—a reasonable assumption for a very thin absorber. The converted power, 𝑄Conv, is calculated numerically by maximizing the current–voltage product, where the current is determined by the number of electron–hole pairs generated that do not radiatively recombine exactly as described by the original S–Q model17. The temperature of the solar cell, 𝑇Cell, can now be determined by numerically solving Eq. 1 with Eqs. 2–4 for a set of parameters: 𝛽, 𝑈E, 𝑈4, 𝑇E, 𝑇4, 𝐸Gap, and 𝑊. 𝑃𝐶𝐸, 𝑉𝐿𝑇, 𝑆𝐻𝐺𝐶, and color can then be determined as summarized in Table 1. For future analyses, it will be convenient to define the power loss as the difference between the absorbed power and power converted to electricity, 𝑄Loss=𝑄Abs−𝑄Conv=𝑄6477,E+𝑄6477,4, and to note that the absorbed power summed with the power transmitted through the PV window, 𝑄Trans, must be equal to the incident power 𝑄-./=∫Γ d𝐸, 𝑄Abs=𝑄Inc−𝑄Trans. (5) Combining Eqs. 1 and 5 and dividing by 𝑄Inc gives a statement of energy conservation as a set of normalized powers that must equal one: 𝑃𝐶𝐸+𝑄6477𝑄Inc+𝑄Trans𝑄Inc=1. (6) Alternatively, Eq. 6 may be rewritten using the definition of 𝑆𝐻𝐺𝐶 (Table 1): 𝑃𝐶𝐸+𝑆𝐻𝐺𝐶+𝑄6477,4+𝑄Δs𝑄Inc=1. (7) In our analysis, we used spectral solar irradiance data from the air mass 1.5 ASTM G173 terrestrial reference spectra. The parameter appearing in Eq. 4 has been determined by matching 𝛼 to the absorption coefficient of a model direct bandgap absorber, 𝛽=1.5×10vw nmv^. We chose methylammonium lead iodide due to its popularity in the literature for PV windows8. Ellipsometry measurements were performed on single crystals (Fig. S1). The window unit is assumed to provide no thermal resistance, and the overall heat transfer coefficients are assumed to be 𝑈E=8.3 W mv` Kv^ and 𝑈4=17 W mv` Kv^ throughout this work based on conventional literature assumptions23. A window unit with no thermal resistance is obviously unrealistic for modern, high thermal efficiency windows with multiple glazing. However, the important findings of this work will be unaffected by this assumption and can be easily altered in future work; further discussion will follow with the results. The indoor temperature is set to be 𝑇E = 298 K. We investigate three outdoor temperature conditions to reflect fall/spring (𝑇4 = 298 K), summer (𝑇4 = 311 K), and winter (𝑇4 = 273 K). The bandgap energy and absorber thickness are parameters that will be explored. Table 1: PV window metrics and their meaning. PV window metric definition Meaning 𝑃𝐶𝐸=𝑄Conv𝑄Inc The 𝑃𝐶𝐸 is the fraction of incident solar power that is converted to electrical power. 𝑉𝐿𝑇=∫𝛤 (1−𝜂) 𝜑 𝑑𝐸∫𝛤𝜑 𝑑𝐸 The 𝑉𝐿𝑇 is determined by the number of photons transmitted through window weighted by the sensitivity of the human eye to see those photons, which we define as the CIE photopic luminosity function, 𝜑=𝜑(𝐸)24 (Fig. S2). This value is divided by the total incident intensity weighted by 𝜑 and integrated over the total solar spectrum giving values between zero and one. 𝑆𝐻𝐺𝐶=𝑄Trans+𝑄6477,E−𝑄s𝑄Inc The 𝑆𝐻𝐺𝐶 is the sum of the transmitted power and the power lost in the cell that is transferred to the inside of the building due to a temperature difference between the absorber layer and the indoor air. Heat transfer only due to a temperature gradient is subtracted from the 𝑆𝐻𝐺𝐶 since it is not part of its definition but has been included in the model to calculate the equilibrium operating temperature of the solar cell: 𝑄Δs=(𝑇4−𝑇E)/𝑅Tot, where 𝑅Tot is the total thermal resistance of the PV window when there is no absorption. 𝑥=𝑋𝑋+𝑌+𝑍, 𝑦=𝑌𝑋+𝑌+𝑍 Color is determined by the CIE 1931 color space. CIE 𝑥 and 𝑦 chromaticity coordinates are determining from the tristimulus values 𝑋,𝑌, 𝑍: 𝑋=∫𝑄s1.7(𝐸) 𝑥̅(𝐸)d𝐸, 𝑌=∫𝑄s1.7(𝐸) 𝑦(𝐸)d𝐸, 𝑍=∫𝑄s1.7(𝐸) 𝑧̅(𝐸)dE, where 𝑥̅(𝐸), 𝑦(𝐸), and 𝑧̅(𝐸) are the color matching functions of the CIE standard colorimetric observer (Fig. S3). Balancing 𝑷𝑪𝑬, 𝑽𝑳𝑻, 𝑺𝑯𝑮𝑪, and Color The most common metric reported in PV window literature is 𝑃𝐶𝐸 at a given 𝑉𝐿𝑇. 𝑃𝐶𝐸 versus 𝑉𝐿𝑇 data from the literature are nicely compiled in a recent work by Lunt and Coworkers8. Reported values range widely from 𝑃𝐶𝐸 = 16.5% at 𝑉𝐿𝑇 = 0.05 for a semitransparent perovskite cell25 to 𝑃𝐶𝐸 = 0.4% at 𝑉𝐿𝑇 = 0.86 for a near-infrared luminescent concentrator architecture26. In this work, a contour plot of 𝑃𝐶𝐸 as a function of thickness and bandgap for fall/spring conditions (Fig. 2a) shows a maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸 of 33.0% at a bandgap of 1.35 eV for thicknesses >800 nm, which is consistent with typical S–Q analysis. Contours calculating 𝑃𝐶𝐸 for summer (Fig. S4) or winter (Fig. S5) show similar trends with a maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸 of 32.6% and 33.7%, respectively. The optimal thickness of the absorber was calculated to obtain maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸 for a constant 𝑉𝐿𝑇 as a function of bandgap (Fig. S6). Lines of constant 𝑉𝐿𝑇 for 𝑉𝐿𝑇 = 0.1, 0.5, and 0.9 at maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸 are shown as dashed lines overlaying the contours in Fig. 2a. The maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸 as a function of bandgap for constant 𝑉𝐿𝑇 is extracted from the contour, and the result is presented in Fig. 2b for winter (thick lines), fall/spring (dashed lines), and summer (thin lines). Intuitively, the outdoor temperature impacts maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸. The largest effect is observed in low 𝑉𝐿𝑇 absorbers. The maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸 varies by 1.1% between summer and winter for optically-dense (S–Q limit) absorbers. The effect of temperature tapers off as 𝑉𝐿𝑇 increases, and seasonal differences nearly disappear for 𝑉𝐿𝑇 > 0.6. Figure 2. (a) Contour plot of the 𝑃𝐶𝐸 as a function of absorber thickness and bandgap. The dashed black curves are lines of constant 𝑉𝐿𝑇 = 0.1, 0.5, and 0.9 where the absorber thickness has been optimized for maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸. (b) Maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸 as a function of bandgap. The set of black curves assumes an optically-dense film to approximate the S–Q limit for each climate condition considered. Each set of colored curves are calculated at constant 𝑉𝐿𝑇, indicated by the corresponding label. The most striking observation from Fig. 2b is the trend in ideal bandgap for maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸 as 𝑉𝐿𝑇 increases. It is a drastic deviation from the S–Q limit. The trend reveals two distinct regimes (Fig. 3). The first regime is characterized by low-𝑉𝐿𝑇 (<0.3) and a bandgap between 1 and 1.5 eV with a peak at 1.35 eV. This regime is consistent with the S–Q limit17, so conventional PV absorbers fall into this regime: a-Si (𝐸012=1.5 eV), CIGS (𝐸012=1.0–1.7 eV), CdTe (𝐸012=1.5 eV), CZTS (𝐸012=1.4–1.5 eV). The conventional absorbers may be thinned to achieve 𝑉𝐿𝑇 ≤ 0.3 without sacrificing maximum theoretical 𝑃𝐶𝐸. 2) A second high-𝑉𝐿𝑇 regime (𝑉𝐿𝑇 > 0.3) exists in which the ideal bandgap for maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸 increases monotonically from 2 to 3 eV with increasing 𝑉𝐿𝑇. Maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸 decreases from 0.20 to 0.05 for bandgaps of 2 and 3 eV, respectively (Fig. 3a). A fully transparent device that converts UV photons only is thus theoretically limited to 5% 𝑃𝐶𝐸. Recent work has shown this limit may be approached in practice27 and may provide enough converted energy to power an electrochromic device28. The distinct 𝑉𝐿𝑇 regimes have not been identified previously and represent a new design criterion for PV windows. A high-𝑉𝐿𝑇 device will have a higher theoretical 𝑃𝐶𝐸 employing absorbers with larger bandgaps than when thinned conventional absorbers are used. This observation motivates the development of window PV-specific absorbers. The metal halide perovskite family of materials are an obvious fit, as their bandgap is easily tuned using halide anion composition29 and can be fabricated over large areas in a fashion compatible with glazing manurfacturing30. Figure 3. (a) Maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸 (left axis) and ideal bandgap (right axis) as a function of 𝑉𝐿𝑇. (b) Normalized power as a function of 𝑉𝐿𝑇. Thick, dashed, and thin lines represent winter, fall/spring, and summer conditions, respectively. The seasonal differences in b are shown but negligible. The shift from the thinned absorber regime to the tuned bandgap regime has consequences outside of 𝑃𝐶𝐸 as shown in Fig. 3b, plotting normalized power as a function of 𝑉𝐿𝑇. Whereas 𝑃𝐶𝐸 (red) shows a smooth decrease as 𝑉𝐿𝑇 increases, there are sharp changes at the transition point for the other components of the window PV energy balance given by Eq. 6 and 7—fraction of power lost (gold), fraction of power transmitted (blue), and 𝑆𝐻𝐺𝐶 (green). SHGC and the fraction of transmitted power intuitively trend together. The fraction of power lost within the cell shows a sharp change at the transition from one regime to the next; thermalization is decreased since fewer photons are absorbed as the bandgap is increased. Thermal performance of PV windows is an underappreciated attribute of the device, with the exception of limited examples31. The overall energy balance as a function of bandgap (with absorber thickness optimized for maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸) is further explored in Fig. 4 by plotting the terms in Eq. 6 and 7. The fraction of power that is transmitted includes any visible light transmitted and always contributes to solar 𝑆𝐻𝐺𝐶 (vertical hash). The energy lost in the cell and transferred into the building (horizontal hash) also contributes to SHGC with varying degrees, depending on the bandgap. Figure 4. Breakdown of normalized power as a function of bandgap for a constant 𝑉𝐿𝑇 of 0.0 (a), 0.2 (b), 0.4 (c), 0.6 (d), 0.8 (e), and 1.0 (f). Contributions are broken down into power transmitted through the window (blue), power absorbed and lost in the cell (yellow), and power converted into electricity (red). Hashed regions represent power contributions to solar heat gain (vertical hash) and power lost in the cell that is transferred into the building (vertical hash). Fall conditions are assumed where 𝑄s = 0. The impact of 𝑄6477,g depends on practical deployment. Here we assumed a window with zero thermal resistance and a heat transfer coefficient at both sides of the cell. However, if the PV device were on the outside pane of a highly-insulating double-pane, triple-pane, or vacuum-insulating window, then the heat transfer to the inside would be largely stifled, as 𝑈4≫𝑈E, and most of the energy would be transferred outside. The opposite is true if the PV device is on the inside of a multi-pane window: a larger portion of the power lost in the cell would transfer to the building. Essentially, 𝑄6477 may transfer inside, outside, or both, depending on the position of the PV device, which changes 𝑈i and 𝑈o. The assumption made here of a window with zero thermal resistance only has the consequence of shifting 𝑄Loss,i within 𝑄Loss; the fraction of light converted, transmitted, or lost is not affected. The impact of 𝑄6477 on 𝑆𝐻𝐺𝐶 is most dominant at low−𝑉𝐿𝑇 and narrow bandgap, as seen for an opaque cell (𝑉𝐿𝑇 = 0.0, Fig. 4a) or cells in the thinned absorber regime (Fig. 4b). 𝑆𝐻𝐺𝐶 is dominated by transmitted light in the tuned-bandgap regime, especially at the ideal bandgap (Fig. 4c–f). The final consideration in PV window design is the color of the transmitted light12. Though control of the color is valuable for ornamental installments, as often done with colorful dye-sensitized solar cells, the most commonly desired architectural aesthetic is neutral gray. The color of transmitted light for cells with bandgaps between 0.3 eV and 3.5 eV with varied thickness encompass a distinct space on the CIE chromaticity diagram that spans shades of yellow, orange, and red (Fig. 5a, grayed region). The neutral color position occurs at (𝑥,𝑦)=(0.33, 0.34). The maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸 for different 𝑉𝐿𝑇 values are superposed on Fig. 5a. Neutral gray is never achieved for the direct bandgap-like absorbers simulated here, even for absorbers with sub-maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸. Coloration for each 𝑉𝐿𝑇 is better visualized by plotting CIE 𝑥 and 𝑦 components as a function of bandgap (Figs. 5b and c). Coloration is less dramatic for ideal bandgap absorbers (black markers) in the thinned absorber regime (𝑉𝐿𝑇≤ 0.3) but exhibit hues of orange and red as the bandgap is increased to greater-than-ideal values. In contrast, ideal bandgap absorbers in the tuned bandgap regime 𝑉𝐿𝑇> 0.3 are highly colored and trend from orange to yellow as 𝑉𝐿𝑇 increases. Patterning the absorber at the microscale has been shown to yield a neutral gray, semitransparent device.32 Color filtering layers may be added to the PV device stack to achieve a neutral or desired color.33 A color filter would not affect 𝑃𝐶𝐸 since it can be placed behind the absorber, but color filters will certainly decrease 𝑉𝐿𝑇 and 𝑆𝐻𝐺𝐶, as the amount of transmitted light will decrease. Figure 5. (a) CIE chromaticity diagram showing the color of PV windows with bandgaps between 0.3 eV and 4 eV (grayed region). Maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸 for a variety of 𝑉𝐿𝑇 are marked with labels. (b) 𝑥- and (c) 𝑦-coordinate of the CIE chromaticity as a function of absorber bandgap at constant 𝑉𝐿𝑇. Black markers indicate bandgap with maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸 for each 𝑉𝐿𝑇. Neutral gray values for 𝑥 and 𝑦 are shown as dashed horizontal lines. Window temperature (𝑇Cell) does not significantly affect color. Conclusion The enormous potential of PV windows to transform the energy landscape must be reconciled with the fundamental design of the PV window device. Here we developed a detailed balance analysis of PV windows in order to investigate the major design elements of 𝑃𝐶𝐸, 𝑉𝐿𝑇, 𝑆𝐻𝐺𝐶, and color. We discovered two distinct regimes of PV absorber design. The thinned-absorber regime validates the common approach to semitransparent PV windows where conventional absorber materials (Si, CIGS, CdTe, CZTS, perovskite, etc.) with an ideal bandgap between 1.1 and 1.5 eV are thinned to allow visible light to pass through. The second, tuned bandgap regime, was unrecognized before this work. The ideal bandgap for maximum 𝑃𝐶𝐸 in this regime increases monotonically from 2 to 3 eV with increasing 𝑉𝐿𝑇. The solar cell exhibits lower losses, higher 𝑆𝐻𝐺𝐶, and color that trends from yellow to orange and red. Solar cell design elements are strongly coupled together. Moving from a static absorber to the recent discovery of switchable ones34-36 reduces the constraints described here to allow for more independent control over 𝑃𝐶𝐸, 𝑉𝐿𝑇, and 𝑆𝐻𝐺𝐶 to offer even greater potential in high efficiency and greater building energy savings in the future of the built environment. Acknowledgements This work was authored by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, operated by Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308. Funding provided by the Building Technologies Offices within the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The views expressed in the article do not necessarily represent the views of the DOE or the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the U.S. Government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this work, or allow others to do so, for U.S. Government purposes. The authors thank Giles Eperon (NREL) for insight and Steven Byrnes (http://sjbyrnes.com) for writing the original code from which these calculations were adapted.