ClearVue looks into future with CFMEU building reveal

ClearVue Technologies has unveiled the first architecturally-designed installation of its smart-glass solar windows in the façade of union heavyweight the CFMEU’s new Training and Wellness Centre in Melbourne.

Australian construction company Kapitol Group, which is building the state-of-the-art centre, placed the order for nine of ClearVue’s second-generation photo-voltaic (PV) solar-glazing units after it was recommended by award-winning Australian architect Hayball because of its “exceptional sustainability benefits and high performance”.

ClearVue Technologies has successfully integrated its IGU units in the new CFMEU Training and Wellness Centre in Melbourne.

The CFMEU’s had previously stated a commitment to explore new building technologies that led to reducing carbon emissions and to improving employee well-being … and ClearVue’s product clearly fitted the bill.

The company believes the wider construction industry is recognising the need for change and seeking energy-generating solutions for new and existing buildings. Management says its technology provides both environmental and sustainability advantages and helps to implement energy-saving solutions.

Melbourne also appears to be an ideal location ClearVue’s initial venture as the Victorian capital city is aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050. Several other cities including Sydney, Adelaide and Canberra have raised similar aspirational targets.

‘Our intention is to provide solutions for net-zero buildings.’

ClearVue Technologies global chief executive officer Martin Deil

ClearVue says its calculations indicate that the CFMEU installation will produce a 94.8kg saving of carbon per annum based on flash-testing results that showed the nine solar windows produced energy generation of 400Wp (watts peak).

Management says the benefit of being included in the CFMEU building design from the turning of the first soil allowed its technologically-smart windows to be seamlessly integrated in planning by the project’s construction and electrical teams for essential tasks such as cable routing.

ClearVue Technologies global chief executive officer Martin Deil said: “Our intention is to provide solutions for net-zero buildings and the way to get there is not only use the vision areas but also use any other vertical areas available to make the whole external envelope into a power generator.”

The company has been furnishing the global construction industry with its belief that its technology can help convert buildings into standalone renewable energy hubs. With a concerted push into big markets such as the United States, Europe and the Middle East, in addition to opportunities within Australia, management believes the inclusion of its product into the CFMEU building may prove to be a trigger for a bigger business journey.

The company has positioned itself to tap into a global market that sees billions of square metres of window glazing being installed in new constructions, while the retrofit market is also likely to be vast.

It has estimated that in the US alone, about US$120 billion ($AU182 billion) worth of window glass is installed annually. And those numbers are expected to increase, with the potential for future “green” legislation to mandate solar PV glazing units as standard fitment in all new buildings.

Management says it is in active discussions negotiating and pricing 75 projects globally to sell its power-generating solar PV integrated glazing units (IGUs) – also referred to as building-integrated photovoltaic units (BIPVs) – that put simply, are windows essentially acting like solar panels.

The solar windows stay transparent, yet can generate electricity by using the power of the sun to make a building more energy efficient.

An IGU is a clear, double-glazed glass panel with a laminated plastic interlayer that sits between the two glass panels. The laminated proprietary technology interlayer contains nano and microparticles.

Light is allowed to pass through the glass and the interlayer activates ultraviolet and infrared light and diverts the energy to thin solar strips embedded around all internal edges of the window, where they are then converted from energy into electricity.

Recent trial testing has shown that ClearVue’s IGUs can produce cooler and quieter interior workplaces, while also generating sufficient power to offset costs or run a range of internal services. The power can either offset or supplement building services, such as powering air-circulating fans or reducing air-conditioning needs.

Additionally, it may be used to power a host of other in-building services, such as automatic blinds, shades and even self-dimming glass to reduce ambient internal temperatures. It can also be used for main or mood lighting, building alarm systems and surveillance devices, equipment battery charging systems and indoor greenery irrigation systems.

ClearVue Technologies’ management is fast building a global business network.

Some of those systems were trialled in ClearVue’s recent two-year test of its built-in PV technology in a greenhouse at Perth’s Murdoch University. The trial confirmed a high consistency of power generation, at times even outperforming conventional solar panels.

The company said the trial also showed a reduction in building energy use of up to 40 per cent in Murdoch’s greenhouse when compared to a conventionally-glazed equivalent. It was accompanied by average daily harvested energy of about 19kWh.

ClearVue sees the US market offering huge potential as many of its cities have stated net-zero targets. It also has its eyes laser-focused on the refurbishment sector.

Management recently opened a new office in San Jose, prompting a local newspaper in the Californian city to run a front-page story on the expansion. It is timely promotion as the company plans to engage the US investment community on the back of recent policy initiatives that provide incentives for the construction sector and promotes net-zero emission goals.

ClearVue’s business model involves licensing its core intellectual property to existing glass fabricators globally and participants within the building industry. The licensed glass manufacturers can make and distribute the IGUs, in addition to the company’s expanded product range consisting of spandrels and cladding.

It also provides opportunities for builders and architects focused on promoting renewable energy generation to look at distribution avenues.

The introduction of its new BIPV products enables the company to offer a solution for vision and non-vision areas of any building. It allows for the complete external envelope of a building facade to be converted into a power-generating area and provides a net-zero solution for buildings.

The spandrels and cladding do not contain the proprietary technology and act more like traditional solar panels. The spandrel layer of glass is integrated into the window installation by licensed partners and sits directly underneath the windows.

In buildings of more than one storey, the spandrel is the area between the sill of a window and the head of the window below it.

ClearVue recently revealed it was set to establish its first supply chain on home soil for its smart glass windows after securing a maiden manufacturing and distribution agreement in Australia with Victorian-based partner Safety Glass.

Management also revealed this week that it has developed several new tools to assist its licensed distributors in boosting sales. Its new thermal modelling software, dubbed “High-rise Archetype-3″, is based on a 40-storey office building model and demonstrates how its “Power Facade” products can improve a building’s thermal performance, energy creation and energy usage.

In the immediate future, the company is looking to reveal details of results from its ongoing testing regime and further projects it has secured globally from its recent interactions with potential clients. Discussions are continuing with expanding its list of licensed partners, with several based in the Middle East – a potentially lucrative business extension the company is keen to pursue.

With global demand for emission reductions and a product range that can meet that need, ClearVue’s growth path may soon become clear to the market.

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