Perth-based ClearVue Technologies has secured a US$500,000 (A$712,450) US Department of Energy grant to advance its solar-glass technology in the American market.
The company will work with North American solar manufacturer Silfab Solar on high-efficiency building-integrated photovoltaic technology designed for spandrel panels — the opaque sections of façades between windows on adjacent floors.
The project is part of a US Department of Energy initiative called “Development of High Efficiency Silicon Solar Spandrels”. It will cover technical development, performance testing and an assessment of potential manufacturing options in the United States.
Initial testing and demonstration work will take place at Silfab Solar’s manufacturing facility in Burlington, Washington. The focus will include the engineering challenges involved in combining solar module production with the installation requirements of commercial glass façades.
Solar power built into building façades
ClearVue’s system is intended to turn traditionally passive sections of a building’s exterior into electricity-generating surfaces while preserving the appearance and thermal performance of the façade.
The technology is designed to integrate with standard framing systems and address issues including thermal stress, ventilation, fire compliance and weather sealing. The company says it can generate up to 200 watts of solar power per square metre.
Spandrel panels can make up a substantial part of the external walls of modern high-rise buildings, although they have traditionally been used mainly for insulation and to conceal structural elements.
ClearVue said its partnership with Silfab would allow the technology to be refined for US requirements, including product integration, performance validation and manufacturing evaluation.
The collaboration comes as Silfab expands its US manufacturing base. That expansion includes a reported US$150 million (A$214 million) investment in a solar cell and module facility in York County, South Carolina, which is expected to create up to 800 jobs.
ClearVue said potential US manufacturing could also create licensing revenue from its proprietary junction box and other technologies, in line with its capital-light model of licensing intellectual property to established original equipment manufacturers.
Doug Hunt, ClearVue’s chief executive and managing director, said: “This is another significant milestone for ClearVue and further recognition of our technology on the international stage. Securing support through the US Department of Energy, alongside an established American solar manufacturer, reinforces the growing international recognition of ClearVue’s technology and its potential to transform the way buildings generate energy.”
The grant follows the opening of ClearVue’s regional headquarters and showroom in Hong Kong. The company has also reported an open proposals pipeline valued at more than A$60 million, secured its first European commercial project in Cyprus and been confirmed as the successful tenderer for the new Sydney headquarters of Canva.
