ClearVue boosts glass tech status for global sales push

ClearVue Technologies says it has secured “critical” certifications for its smart glass technology that will allow for better promotion of its newly-expanded product suite to the modern building industry.

As the world’s net-zero ambitions continue to gain momentum, the company says it has also introduced new support tools for its licensees in a bid to provide a massive boost to its sales volume. It believes its licensees will now have a smoother pathway to promotion after two major global testing, inspection and certification firms – renowned German and Austrian company TÜV and London-based Intertek – both signed off on vital approvals.

ClearVue Technologies has created a thermal-modelling software program using a 40-storey building to calculate net-zero capability.

It was part of ClearVue’s strategy to obtain the various certifications needed to underpin the full-scale global commercialisation of its photovoltaic (PV) product range.

The building industry views the certifications as vital in terms of using the materials. It includes the need for an approved “fire rating” of materials following several disastrous events in recent years, particularly the heartbreaking fallout from the fatal 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London.

‘Achieving our essential international code compliance certifications is a pivotal milestone.’

ClearVue Technologies global chief executive officer Martin Deil

ClearVue confirmed in February that its power-generating solar PV integrated glazing units (IGUs) – more simply described as windows that act as solar panels – received the stamp of approval from internationally-renowned TÜV SÜD for heat-electrical and fire. The approval allows its glass units to be included in buildings towering more than 18m and in high-risk environments such as hospitals, schools and hotels.

The safety confirmation is a critical addition to the product’s baseline ability to convert sunlight into energy.

The “seal process”, where ClearVue’s IGUs have been deemed to stay free of water and dust ingress and were successfully tested for anti-fogging qualities, has provided the company with another key certification.

ClearVue Technologies global chief executive officer Martin Deil said: “Achieving our essential international code compliance certifications is a pivotal milestone, enabling our licensed partners to confidently promote and sell ClearVue solar glass and facade products globally. These certifications ensure our products meet stringent regulatory standards, allowing architects and specifiers to order from our licensees with confidence.”

Deil added that the company received “overwhelmingly positive” feedback from the recent American Institute of Architects AIA24 conference on design and architecture in Washington D.C., which was attended by an estimated 50,000 people.

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

The façade includes solar spandrels, solar cladding in a range of colours and architectural building-integrated photovoltaic units (BIPV) such as skylights and balustrade glass.

By inputting details such as expected weather conditions and the direction the building faces, the high-tech software can illustrate the benefits of using ClearVue’s array of solar products and if net-zero can be attained. The software can also determine expected payback periods based on the cost to implement the sun-performing products into the building design.

Management says in some cities, depending on the variables involved, it is possible to attain a building capable of net-zero performance.

In a bid to ensure quality control of its product range, the company developed a custom-designed “flash-tester”, which is effectively a tool to measure the power generated from its second-generation solar PV glazing products.

ClearVue also instigated an independent report on the tax benefits and incentives that could be triggered if its building products are used. The report by Californian-based consulting group BRAYN demonstrates eligibility for tax credits and incentives under the United States Inflation Reduction Act, further improving the appeal of the products.

Essentially, the IGU is a clear, double-glazed glass panel with a laminated plastic layer 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. The spandrels and cladding do not contain the technology and act more like traditional solar panels.

ClearVue believes that all buildings can become standalone renewable energy hubs and is actively promoting that message to the global construction industry.

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