Researchers have long chased a deceptively simple goal in building design: glass that lets in the view and daylight, but not the heat that drives up energy bills. That ambition is now much closer to reality, as a new class of transparent insulation materials promises to keep interiors cooler or warmer without resorting to dark tints or bulky shades. At the center of that shift is a material that behaves a bit like high tech bubble wrap, scattering heat while staying almost perfectly clear to the human eye.
The stakes are high. Windows are among the weakest points in a building’s thermal envelope, yet they are also the surfaces people are most reluctant to cover. A transparent insulator that can be added to existing glass, or built into new panes, could cut energy use, shrink emissions and make homes and offices more comfortable, all while preserving the crystal clear views people expect from modern architecture.
From “frozen smoke” to a new kind of clear insulation
For years, the gold standard for lightweight insulation has been silica aerogel, sometimes nicknamed “frozen smoke” because of its ghostly appearance and extremely low density. Aerogels trap air in a labyrinth of pores, which makes them excellent at slowing heat, but traditional versions tend to be cloudy or blue tinted, a trade off that has limited their use in windows. The latest research pushes past that limitation, creating structures that are both highly porous and remarkably transparent, so they can sit in front of a view without turning it milky.
One team working in Boulder has developed an aerogel that is more than 99% transparent to visible light while still acting as an extremely good thermal insulator. According to reporting on the project, the group led by physicist Smalyukh achieved this by using a new fabrication technique involving a removable template, which allowed Their team to control the pore structure at very small scales. That work set the stage for an even more ambitious material that would take transparency and insulation to another level.
Meet MOCHI, the bubble wrap like heat stopper
The latest breakthrough builds on that aerogel lineage but gives it a new architecture. Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder created a material they call MOCHI, short for Mesoporous Optically Clear Hierarchical Insulation, which looks like a block of glass at first glance but behaves more like a high performance blanket for heat. Instead of a uniform sponge, MOCHI is filled with tiny, ordered bubbles that scatter infrared radiation while letting visible light pass through almost unimpeded.
Coverage of the work describes how physicists at Boulder designed MOCHI specifically for windows, so it could improve the energy efficiency of buildings without forcing people to give up natural light. In one account, undergraduate student Abram Fluckiger is shown holding up a block containing the material, which appears almost invisible from a distance. Another report notes that the bubbles in the MOCHI material trap heat in a way that makes the block look bright in thermal images, even though it stays clear to the eye, a detail highlighted in a nanotechnology focused summary.
How MOCHI blocks heat without dimming the view
The key to MOCHI’s performance lies in how it treats different wavelengths of light. Human vision is tuned to a narrow band of visible light, while most of the heat that passes through windows arrives as infrared radiation. By carefully engineering the size and spacing of its internal bubbles, MOCHI scatters and reflects that heat carrying infrared while allowing visible wavelengths to travel straight through, so the material looks almost perfectly clear even as it acts like a shield against thermal energy.One technical overview explains that the material, known as Mesoporous Optically Clear Hierarchical Insulation, is both durable and nearly completely transparent, a combination that makes it suitable for real world window applications rather than just lab demonstrations, as described in a piece on scientists who found a way to block heat without blocking views. Another report emphasizes that only five millimeters of this experimental material can shield a hand from a flame while still transmitting about 99.8 percent of visible light, and that it blocks about 0.2 percent of incoming light overall, a striking figure cited in coverage that likens MOCHI to bubble wrap for windows.
Why transparent insulation matters for energy and comfort
Windows are responsible for a disproportionate share of heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter, which forces air conditioners and furnaces to work harder. Traditional fixes, from heavy drapes to reflective films, often come with a penalty in daylight and aesthetics, which is why many homeowners and building managers underuse them. A material like MOCHI that can be integrated into glazing or added as a clear layer offers a way to cut energy use without sacrificing the qualities that make glass so attractive in the first place.Analyses of the new material frame it as a potential advance in energy efficient windows, on par with or beyond earlier aerogel work that was already seen as a major step forward in this space, as noted in reporting on a transparent and insulating aerogel. Another feature on the project underscores that MOCHI could replace older “frozen smoke” style insulators as the Ultimate Heat Stopper, with the full name Mesoporous Optically Clear Hierarchical Insulation spelled out and its potential to be more transparent than clear in industrial applications highlighted in a piece titled Breakthrough Transparent Material, MOCHI, Could Replace Frozen Smoke as the Ultimate Heat Stopper.
How MOCHI compares with today’s window films and tints
To understand what makes MOCHI different, it helps to look at the products already on the market for controlling solar gain. Modern heat control window film is typically a thin coating applied directly to glass that reflects or absorbs a portion of the sun’s energy. These films can be effective, but they often introduce a visible tint or mirror like sheen, and they usually work by blocking a chunk of the visible spectrum along with the heat, which can leave interiors dimmer than many people like.Guides for homeowners explain that modern heat control window film is designed to reduce solar heat while still allowing natural light, but they acknowledge that traditional films can darken rooms or distort views compared with newer options that only block the heat, a trade off described in a primer on why heat control window film performance matters for your home. Automotive products face similar constraints: the 3M Automotive Window Film Crystalline Series, for instance, is praised as a leader for drivers who value performance and aesthetics, with reviewers noting that the Automotive Window Film Crystalline Series comes from a brand with a strong warranty and is aimed at people who want heat rejection without a dark limo look, as outlined in a list of good window tint film choices for 2025.
Clear coatings and UV films show the market appetite
Even before MOCHI, manufacturers were racing to deliver coatings that manage heat without turning glass dark. One example is HeiQ Xpectra, a transparent heat reflecting coating that can be applied to glass surfaces to bounce away solar energy while keeping the pane visually clear. The product is pitched as a way to improve comfort and cut cooling loads in buildings that rely heavily on glass facades, signaling that there is already commercial demand for invisible thermal control.
Company materials describe HeiQ Xpectra as a revolutionary heat reflecting coating unveiled at BAU 2025, with the brand emphasizing that Xpectra is designed to be transparent and that it could be deployed widely in the EU already by 2033, according to a release on HeiQ Xpectra at BAU. Another announcement frames HeiQ’s move as part of a broader push to bring transparent heat reflecting coatings to market, with the company highlighting HeiQ Xpectra as a key innovation in that strategy, as detailed in its transparent heat reflecting coating launch. At the consumer level, there are also clear films like BDF S2M Clear UV Blocking Window Film, which is marketed as providing UV protection without any tint and is advertised as blocking 99% of UV rays that can damage furnishings in homes, offices and retail spaces.
From lab block to real world window: what adoption could look like
Translating a lab sample into a product that can be mass produced and installed in buildings is never trivial, and MOCHI will face the same hurdles. The material must be manufactured at scale, bonded to or integrated with glass, and proven to withstand years of temperature swings, moisture and mechanical stress. Yet the fact that it is already being demonstrated in block form, with clear visual transparency and strong thermal performance, suggests that the path to commercialization is not purely theoretical.
Reports on the research note that the work from Boulder has already been published in the journal “Science,” with By Daniel Strain detailing how Abram Fluckiger and colleagues developed the material and tested its performance in controlled experiments, as referenced in the Science publication summary. Another feature, framed around Chasing the dream of transparent insulation, describes how a team of scientists hit on a solution that resembles high tech bubble wrap, underscoring that the concept is already being discussed as a practical route to super efficient insulation in windows, as laid out in an analysis of Chasing the dream of transparent insulation.
What it means for homes, cars and cities
If MOCHI or similar materials reach the market, the impact would extend far beyond a few showcase buildings. Retrofitting existing homes with clear insulating panels or films could cut cooling loads in hot climates and reduce heating demand in cold ones, especially in older housing stock with single pane or poorly insulated windows. For renters and homeowners who already experiment with DIY films and shades, a transparent insulator that simply snaps over existing glass could be an attractive upgrade.
The automotive world is another likely beneficiary. Drivers already invest in products like the 3M Automotive Window Film Crystalline Series to keep cabins cooler without resorting to dark tints, and retailers highlight that the Automotive Window Film Crystalline Series is aimed at people who value performance and aesthetics, as noted in the 2025 tint film roundup. A MOCHI based layer that could be laminated into windshields or sunroofs would push that logic further, offering even stronger heat rejection without changing the look of the glass. Consumer search listings already show how clear films like BDF S2M are marketed as UV shields that block 99% of harmful rays, and a similar framing could help MOCHI based products gain traction once they move beyond the lab.
The next wave of invisible climate tech
What makes MOCHI particularly intriguing is how quietly it fits into daily life. Unlike rooftop solar panels or bulky heat pumps, a transparent insulating layer is almost invisible, yet it can chip away at one of the most stubborn sources of energy waste in buildings. As cities grapple with rising temperatures and grid stress, technologies that reduce cooling demand without demanding behavioral change are likely to be especially valuable.
Some coverage already situates MOCHI within a broader ecosystem of high tech window materials, including insulation films that exist today but typically block light and are not ideal for people hoping to keep their views, a tension highlighted in a feature on a high tech window material that keeps heat in while letting in light. Consumer product listings for heat control films and coatings, such as those surfaced in shopping search results, show that the market is already primed for solutions that promise comfort, efficiency and clarity in a single package. As research on transparent and insulating aerogels continues to mature, and as companies refine coatings like HeiQ Xpectra, MOCHI’s bubble filled blocks hint at a future where the clearest pane in the room is also the most powerful piece of climate technology in the building.
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