RMIT taps ClearVue’s solar glass to power up smart greenhouse tech project

ClearVue’s solar glass joins a $20m RMIT project to help greenhouses grow more food with less energy.

ClearVue plugs into $20m smart greenhouse project led by RMIT. Picture via Getty Images

Special Report: ClearVue’s solar glass is part of a new $20m RMIT-led project exploring how greenhouses could grow more food using less energy in a changing world.

• ClearVue joins $20m push for next-gen greenhouses
• Solar glass tech tapped to boost food and energy security
• Australia eyes global lead in agrivoltaics

ClearVue Technologies (ASX:CPV) has been selected to join a major $20 million research program focused on building smarter, greener greenhouses. 

The project aims to rethink food security, energy efficiency and protected cropping in a hotter, more resource-conscious world.

The project is being led by RMIT University and forms part of the ARC Research Hub for Intelligent Energy Efficiency in Future Protected Cropping, aka the ARC Hub.

It officially kicked off on July 1, with a formal launch expected in November.

And while it’s early days yet, ClearVue’s involvement already puts them in the thick of it.

“We are excited to support this important work being led by RMIT through the ARC Hub,” said ClearVue’s global CEO, Martin Deil.

“Our unique technology will contribute meaningfully by generating electricity and using advanced spectral control to enhance crop yields, improve quality, and promote sustainability by reducing energy and water consumption.”

Big leap forward

The company is contributing its photovoltaic glass technology, designed with advanced spectral control, to the five-year research program.

That same tech delivered strong results in earlier trials at ClearVue’s solar greenhouse at Murdoch University in Perth.

“Our independent testing at the ClearVue greenhouse at Murdoch University in Perth has already delivered strong results, and we’re eager to build on these insights as we move toward broader deployment in the agrivoltaics sector,” said Deil.

This isn’t ClearVue’s first rodeo in the ag-tech space.

Stockhead recently covered ClearVue’s growing agricultural arm, OptiCrop, which made its first commercial sale just weeks ago, blending ClearVue’s solar glass with innovative root-zone cooling for desert-ready food production. 

Read that story here: ClearVue’s ag-tech seed takes root with OptiCrop’s first sale

But this new partnership marks a big leap forward in scale and coordination.

RMIT will be bringing together 16 partner organisations, including major research powerhouses such as The Australian National University, UNSW and Western Sydney University.

There’s also serious government support behind the push.

The ARC Hub secured $5 million in funding from the Australian Research Council, and the total contributions (both cash and in-kind) from all partners clock in at over $20 million.

A who’s who of tech and industry

Besides the universities, the research consortium includes a diverse mix of private and public players: 

Innofocus Photonics, South East Water, Advanced Carbon Engineering, Vecor Technologies, Graphenex, Greenspace ESG, Sunbeam Technologies, Greenplus Aus, Protected Cropping Australia, AI Reimagined, and Evident Australia.

ClearVue’s role will be to provide the solar glazing technology and the know-how needed to turn glasshouse roofs into clean power generators that also help regulate the light spectrum hitting the crops inside.

Leading the charge on ClearVue’s end will be Dr Mikhail Vasiliev, the company’s lead scientist, who will participate in the ARC Hub as a partner investigator.

His previous work on the Murdoch solar greenhouse will no doubt be critical to guiding the tech’s application in this next-gen research effort.

Australia’s shot at agrivoltaic leadership

The broader aim of the program is to position Australia as a global leader in protected cropping technologies, especially those that are self-sustaining and powered by renewables.

The research aligns with the federal government’s Industrial Transformation Priorities, ticking off goals around renewable energy, low-emission tech and high-value agriculture. 

In plain speak, it’s about growing more with less, and doing it in a way that’s energy-smart and future-proofed.

“We believe Australia has an opportunity to position itself as a global leader in food security innovation, and that ClearVue should be at the forefront of this global discussion,” Deil said.

Professor Gary Rosengarten, who heads the Renewable Energy Management Research Program at the ARC Hub, and is Director of the Sustainable Technologies and Systems Enabling Impact Platform at RMIT, echoed that view.

“Greenhouses are vital infrastructure for food security and climate resilience,” said Rosengarten.

“By harnessing the combined expertise of our research and industry partners, RMIT is excited to be working on world-leading technology like ClearVue’s solar glazing to develop cutting-edge greenhouse solutions.

“Our goal is to utilise advanced modelling and experimental techniques to facilitate highly productive plant growth with minimal reliance on external energy and water resources.”

The timeline ahead

While the ARC Hub only just kicked off on July 1, the roadmap is clear. 

The program will run through to 30 June 2030, with key developments to be shared along the way.

For ClearVue, it’s a milestone that builds on the momentum of past projects. 

It could also open the door to new commercial opportunities in the fast-emerging agrivoltaics space, where clean energy and crop yield are no longer seen as competing priorities but as partners in the same greenhouse.

This article was developed in collaboration with ClearVue Technologies, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing. 

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.