Twin louver window assembly for efficient thermal control

A powered twin louver bank window system comprising:

• an assembly surround frame, configured to be fitted in a wall envelope of a building, the assembly surround frame including a head member, a sill member, and at least a pair of opposed side channel members, wherein, when the assembly surround frame is installed in the wall envelope of the building, the wall envelope at least in part surrounds the head member, the sill member, and the pair of opposed side channel members leaving an outer side of the assembly surround frame exposed to an exterior environment of the building and an inner side of the assembly surround frame exposed to an interior of the building;
• a pair of louver banks mounted relative to the assembly surround frame, including an outer louver bank located towards the outer side of the assembly surround frame and an inner louver bank located toward the inner side of the assembly surround frame, each of the outer and inner louver banks including a plurality of louver blades;
• at least one powered drive mechanism associated with one or more of the louver banks to drive at least some of the louver blades of one or more of the louver banks between a closed configuration and one or more open configurations, and the inner louver bank seals when in the closed position to enable a pressure differential to be achieved across the inner louver bank;
• a passageway comprising an opening formed in a portion of the assembly surround frame proximate to an upper portion of the outer louver bank that opens to the exterior environment when the assembly surround frame is installed in the wall envelope, the passageway providing passive fluid communication between the exterior environment and a space inside the outer louver bank between the inner and outer louver banks so as to allow pressure equalization across the outer louver bank when the outer louver bank is closed;
• and
• a window control system including a control unit operable to automatically control the at least one drive mechanism.