SolarWindow Awarded U.S. Department of Energy Grant for Advanced Manufacturing

SolarWindow Technologies, Inc., the leading developer of transparent electricity-generating coatings for glass windows and flexible veneers, announced that the company has been awarded its first-ever advanced materials manufacturing Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO).

SolarWindow was awarded the CRADA after submitting a proposal outlining its process technologies and fabrication methods to the DOE’s Roll-to-Roll Advanced Materials Manufacturing Consortium, led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and partnering with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The CRADA will be carried out with the DOE by SolarWindow, ANL, and NREL.

“This CRADA supports our development of novel coating and fabrication methods, manufacturing methods, and, in turn, expands our budget to help us reach our goal of bringing SolarWindow™ products to market. We’re honored to receive this award and grateful for the U.S. Department of Energy’s commitment to backing American ingenuity, manufacturing, and jobs,” stated Mr. John Conklin, President and CEO of SolarWindow Technologies, Inc.

Eligibility for the award was based on companies or organizations that develop and manufacture devices and systems in specialized areas for commercial applications, or that will be able to manufacture products as a direct result of the award.

SolarWindow is the developer of transparent electricity-generating glass, which when fabricated into windows, could turn entire buildings into vertical power generators. The company estimates that the market for SolarWindow™ glass products for tall towers and skyscrapers represents a $100 billion opportunity.

Targeting the estimated 5.6 million U.S. commercial buildings, which consume almost $150 billion in electricity annually, the company’s transparent electricity-generating windows could reduce energy costs by up to 50%, according to independently-validated company power and financial modeling.

DOE R2RAMM Laboratory Consortium

EERE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) supports early-stage research to advance innovation in U.S. manufacturing and promote American economic growth and energy security.

This DOE Laboratory Consortium is comprised of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), to work with industry partners to address roll-to-roll (R2R) manufacturing deficiencies using an advanced materials manufacturing (AMM) approach.

The mission of the Consortium is to address the manufacturing “gap” that is developing in R2R between U.S. manufacturers and the rest of the world. The Consortium Laboratories have unique capabilities that complement each other for the research, development, testing and evaluation of energy saving technologies.

The objective of the Consortium is to partner with material, component, device, and system manufacturers in order to investigate, improve, and scale R2R process methodology that will increase manufacturing levels to internationally significant quantities. Creation and preservation of domestic manufacturing jobs is a primary goal.