Warm Light WallInstalled on the MIT competition house during October’s Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C., Hunter Douglas’ Warm Light Wall System was as eye-catching as it was functional. Based on a Trombe wall, Warm Light passive solar heating technology is made up of acrylic building blocks with aerogel insulation. Wintertime solar energy passes through, with heat energy absorbed in the water-based thermal mass layer and daylight infiltrating the interior of the home. The aerogel reduces exterior heat loss, the company says, and the interior thermal mass slowly releases heat to the inside of the home for 24 to 36 hours. According to Hunter Douglas, when the product was used as the sole heating source for a house in Massachusetts over the course of two winters, it maintained an interior temperature of 70 degrees F 90% of the time.

Product status: Prototype with no plans for mass production at this time. 800.274.2985. www.hunterdouglas.com.