ClearVue has announced what it describes as a significant manufacturing breakthrough that enables its Gen 3 Vision Glass to incorporate high-performance soft low-emissivity (Low-E) coatings in a way the company says is unique within the building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) market, expanding potential access to commercial facade projects worldwide.
According to ClearVue, its laminated energy-generating glass can now undergo a magnetron sputter coating process after photovoltaic cells have been laminated and processed, allowing soft solar control Low-E coatings to be applied to the finished glazing units.
The company said these coatings are widely specified for commercial façades, enabling its product to better align with industry requirements.
ClearVue said the capability allows Low-E coatings to be applied on “surface 4” of the glazing unit, which it said provides greater solar heat control by reducing the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC).
The company stated it believes it is currently the only BIPV supplier capable of processing laminated photovoltaic glass through a magnetron coating machine in this way, while other BIPV products typically position the coating on “surface 5”, resulting in higher solar heat transmission.
The company said the development enables its glazing products to combine thermal performance with on-site renewable energy generation while providing greater manufacturing flexibility.
According to ClearVue, products can either be manufactured using pre-coated glass supplied by established glass manufacturers or be coated after lamination by specialist coating companies, using existing industry supply chains rather than dedicated equipment.
ClearVue also reported that the manufacturing capability has been validated in a production environment with AGC Interpane, part of AGC Glass Europe.
The company said Gen 3 Vision Glass units were processed at AGC Interpane’s facility in Plattling, Germany, where they were cleaned, coated with a standard solar control coating and tested on the existing production line.
According to ClearVue, the units were successfully coated without requiring changes to the manufacturing process, operating on the same production line and settings as conventional float glass.
The company said this demonstrates compatibility with existing industrial-scale coating facilities and could lower barriers for manufacturers considering BIPV products.
ClearVue Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Doug Hunt described the development as a major milestone for the company.
“This is one of the most significant milestones in ClearVue’s history. It puts us in a class of our own,” Hunt said.
He added that the ability to apply a high-performance soft Low-E coating to surface 4 of an energy-generating glazing pane provides the thermal performance expected in commercial buildings while also generating clean energy.
“We believe no other BIPV supplier in the world can currently do that. It means our customers get the thermal performance a commercial building is designed around and clean energy from the same glass,” Hunt said.
“That is a genuine breakthrough for the industry, and it lets us pursue commercial façade opportunities worldwide at real scale.”
The content of this article is based on information supplied by ClearVue Technologies Limited. For more information, please refer to the official company announcement and communications from ClearVue. Please consult a licensed and/or registered professional in this area before making any decisions based on the content of this article.
