ClearVue secures $250K contract for first US solar greenhouse
ClearVue Technologies, an Australian smart building materials company has received its first commercial order in the United States for supply of ClearVue’s clear solar glass solutions for greenhouses.
The order valued at $252,000 has been placed by Greenhouse System USA Inc. of Watsonville, California. Operating for over 42 years, System USA is a leader in green housing solutions in the US and Canada.
ClearVue’s single-glazing laminate will be seamlessly integrated into System USA’s existing greenhouse structure providing approximately 82kW of solar power and producing an estimated 107,000kWh per year. This clean, renewable power project will be eligible for incentives created by the Inflation Reduction Act lowering annual operating costs and reducing the facility’s carbon footprint.
Importantly, this initiative uses ClearVue’s innovative single-glazing laminate developed by ClearVue in conjunction with research partner D2Solar in California since 2021.
“Greenhouses have been an integral part of our strategy from day one as we understood the growing global need for renewable energy solutions for sustainable agriculture,” Martin Deil, Global CEO of ClearVue Technologies, said. “Importantly, this new order validates our strategy for targeting the US-protected cropping agriculture market and opens an opportunity in global solar greenhouse glass currently worth nearly $12bn per year and growing. We are thrilled the partnership is with System USA, a company setting the modern global standard for excellence in efficient greenhouse facilities.”
“The increasing demand for renewable energy in agriculture is bolstered by government incentives including the US Inflation Reduction Act as well as a consumer push for sustainability, and ClearVue and System USA are excited to deliver our solutions to the agricultural sector.”
“This project builds on the considerable success we’ve had with previous solar greenhouse projects, including the Murdoch University R&D Greenhouse in Perth, operational since 2021, as well as the greenhouse constructed at Sendai Ignis resort in Japan by ClearVue licensee Tomita Technologies.
ClearVue Technologies is an Australian technology company that operates in the Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BPIV) sector which involves the integration of solar technology into building surfaces, specifically glass and building façades, to provide renewable energy. ClearVue has developed advanced glass technology that aims to preserve glass transparency to maintain building aesthetics whilst generating electricity.
ClearVue’s electricity-generating glazing technology is strategically positioned to complement and make more compelling, the increased use of energy-efficient windows now being regulated in response to global climate change and energy efficiency goals.
Solar PV cells are incorporated around the edges of an Insulated Glass Unit (IGU) used in windows and the lamination interlayer between the glass in the IGU incorporates ClearVue’s patented proprietary nano and microparticles, as well as its spectrally selective coating on the rear external surface of the IGU.
ClearVue’s window technology has applications for use in the building and construction and agricultural industries (among others). ClearVue has worked closely with leading experts from the Electron Science Research Institute, Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia to develop the technology.
This agreement marks a significant step in ClearVue’s mission to revolutionize sustainable agriculture and contribute to a cleaner, greener future. This announcement follows several significant milestones for ClearVue, including the co-development agreement for single-glazing and double-glazed IGUs (Integrated Glazing Units) with D2Solar, the demonstration of mass-scale manufacturing, and the company’s inclusion of greenhouse solutions as one of its priorities to achieve short- and long-term revenue growth.