SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.—SolarWindow Technologies, Inc., developer of transparent liquid coatings that convert passive windows into electricity-generating windows, announced the use of a new high-performance polymer for the fabrication of its transparent electricity-generating SolarWindow coatings.
Incorporating an exclusive, non-fullerene polymer designed by Raynergy Tek, into the company’s proprietary new coating formulation generates greater power output than the polymers previously used. The new polymer also provides for higher visible light transmission and expands the range of coating colors for future potential customers of the planned electricity-generating window product line.
“Today’s announcement is a result of our important collaboration with Raynergy Tek in the pursuit of increased power output and the enhanced transparency of SolarWindow coatings for use on glass products we are developing for commercial buildings of all types,” said John A. Conklin, President & CEO of SolarWindow Technologies, Inc. “We believe the new polymers will provide us greater control of color and transparency in our coatings, and should be more visually appealing to our potential customers, builders, developers, architects, engineers, and designers.”
With the Help of NREL Scientists
The announcement regarding the use of high-performance polymers to fabricate SolarWindow coatings was made possible by performance measurements performed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) scientists Rosemary Bramante, MS; Mickey Wilson, MS; Matthew Heinemann, MS; Maikel van Hest, PhD; James Whitaker, PhD; and Bertrand Tremolet de Villers, PhD, while working on the company’s Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA).
The company’s collaboration with Raynergy Tek was established to pursue increased power and transparency of SolarWindow coatings. Headquartered in Taiwan and backed by several Taiwan Public listed companies, Raynergy Tek is a world leader in organic photovoltaics technology and develops next-generation materials in chemistry, materials science and device physics.
Along with its CRADA with NREL and its agreement with Raynergy Tek, the company also has a Process Integration and Production Agreement with Triview Glass Industries, an award-winning custom glass fabricator based in suburban Los Angeles. Initially working to establish manufacturing processes and a production line through this agreement, SolarWindow and Triview plan to fabricate specific SolarWindow electricity-generating glass products at commercial scale.
The company is targeting the estimated 5.6 million U.S. commercial buildings, which consume almost $150 billion in electricity annually. When clad to a tall tower, for example, the company’s transparent electricity-generating windows could reduce energy costs by up to 50 percent, according to independently validated company power and financial modeling and building operating conditions.
