ClearVue Technologies has signed a consultancy agreement with global engineering consultants Arup to further develop its Smart Façade panel concepts that incorporate the ASX-listed company’s clear glass solar panels.
Arup’s façade engineering team and University of Sydney engineering staff and students will work with the company to develop four types of self-powered Smart Façades during the program.
This is aimed at developing concepts that can be supplied to selected manufacturers for prototyping and integration into mass production and assembly.
The first concept is for a casement window that can “learn” the optimum temperature and airflow requirements of building occupants and automatically open and close accordingly.
Arup will also look into an automatically closing cavity blind that activates in response to outdoor solar conditions and the requirements of building occupants and a third concept that incorporates natural ventilation with an automatic motorised damper.
These two concepts will then be combined into a multi-function façade that enables the optimised control of lighting, temperature and air quality.
All of the Smart Façades will feature ClearVue’s proprietary insulated glass units, or “IGU”, to generate power and electrochromic technology that enables the glass to automatically tint and adapt to the lighting conditions.
Executive Chairman Victor Rosenberg said: “This new work under the consultancy agreement further extends our relationship with Arup but more importantly is a major milestone for ClearVue in preparing our multifunctional windows and smart façade designs to take them from concept to commercial reality and paving the way for ClearVue’s entry into the coming Smart City explosion.”
ClearVue’s IGU panels use a proprietary film to converts the sun’s ultraviolet radiation to longer wavelengths, which are then scattered along with infrared light to the edges of the glass panel where they are captured by thin strips of photovoltaic solar cells and converted into electricity.
At the same time, the film allows a remarkable 70% of the visible light to pass through.
The Smart City concept seeks to use digital technologies to make buildings more liveable and sustainable.
By Matt Birney
