Australian smart building materials company, ClearVue Technologies, has developed advanced solar glass technology that generates renewable energy from windows and facades, improving the sustainability and efficiency of new and existing buildings.
ClearVue’s technology is patented nano- and
micro-particles interlaid within laminated glass. This interlay not only filters out harmful infrared and ultraviolet light but converts it into electricity through strategically placed photovoltaic cells around the edges.
The technology is embedded in an insulated glass unit, called an IGU, and can be applied within a window, skylight, building facade, and other glass structures such as greenhouses or bus shelters.
The overall system design helps buildings generate cleaner, cheaper energy.
Moreover, the solar glass provides excellent insulation and thermal performance which reduces heating and cooling loads on top of generating on-site energy.
ClearVue’s Generation 2 IGUs have been independently proven to cut heating and cooling loads by an impressive 22.8 per cent, the company said.
The solar glass also enhances thermal comfort, minimizes glare, and maximizes natural daylighting for occupants.
The technology can be seamlessly integrated by any glass manufacturer globally, using standard equipment.
ClearVue’s solar glass can generate energy from almost all surfaces of a building, not just the roof. This is critical to sustainability in modern urban environments as rooftops simply don’t provide enough space for sufficient solar power needed to run buildings.
The ability to generate energy from the whole building façade is important.
“This solar glass technology offers a tangible pathway for the building sector to achieve net zero targets by reducing up to 30 per cent of a building's operational carbon,” the company said.