ClearVue Technologies Limited: World First Solar Greenhouse Officially Opens
19 April 2021: Smart building materials company ClearVue Technologies Limited (ASX:CPV) (ClearVue or the Company) is pleased to announce that its World First Clear Solar Research Greenhouse is today being officially opened in Perth Western Australia.
The world-first clear solar glass greenhouse will be officially opened at 1pm WST today by WA Innovation Minister Mr Don Punch, Federal Member for Cowan, Dr Anne Aly, along with Murdoch University Vice Chancellor Eeva Leinonen, Murdoch Pro Vice Chancellor (Food Futures Institute) Professor Peter Davies and ClearVue Technologies Executive Chairman Victor Rosenberg.
The solar research greenhouse which has been constructed by smart building materials company ClearVue Technologies uses three different versions of its transparent solar photovoltaic glazing panels and is located at Murdoch University’s new grains research precinct at its South Street campus in Western Australia.
The new state-of-the-art facility will be used by Murdoch University’s internationally renowned geneticist, Professor Chengdao Li, and his team, with a view to developing new plant breeding technologies and integrating them to produce commercial crop varieties. At the same time, the Company will be carrying out its own research on the greenhouse energy generation and energy efficiency performances.
The Greenhouse research project has been supported under a $1.6 million grant from the Australian Federal Government’s AusIndustry Cooperative Research Centre Projects program. R&D and construction has been completed with the assistance of its research partner Edith Cowan University (ECU) and its construction partner blanc.
As previously announced, the greenhouse utilises clear solar glass that not only lets natural sunlight through but also generates power using the unwanted UV and IR light wavelengths and converts these to power from photovoltaics at the perimeter of the IGUs used in the greenhouse glazing.
The Company first officially announced the AusIndustry Cooperative Research Centre’s Projects grant to design the greenhouse and complete trials within the finished greenhouse in the Prospectus at the time of the Company’s Listing. The Company first signed the Funding Agreement for the grant with the Commonwealth of Australia on 18 April 2017 which has since been varied to extend the milestones under the grant from 31 March 2020 until 30 September 2021.
The new ClearVue greenhouse incorporates a range of sensors that record and present an array of data in real time providing scientists with accurate information relating to conditions like temperature, humidity and the actual amount of light that plants are receiving.
This information is quickly analysed to make automatic adjustments to lighting, fans, heating, cooling, louvres, blinds and reticulation systems, which in turn allows scientists to maintain a constant microclimate that provides optimum growing conditions – a large proportion of which is being powered by the energy generated by the ClearVue glass deployed on the greenhouse itself.
ClearVue Technologies Limited Executive Chairman Victor Rosenberg has said:
“ClearVue is truly excited to finally be able to show to the World ClearVue’s truly world leading product being used in this agricultural application – just one of the wide range of applications the ClearVue technology and products can be used for.
The opening today follows our announcement last week of the signing of a new Distribution Agreement with Tomita Technologies in Japan who are Japanese industry leaders in greenhousing and is a strong indicator of the interest in the rapidly growing sector of protected cropping being used to sure up food security. A category that the Company believes will be an important source of sales for the Company into the future.
We are particularly proud to be working with Professor Li and his team at Murdoch to support agricultural research that is intended to improve global environmental, food and health outcomes.
Estimates indicate the world’s arable land has reduced by one third in the past 40 years. By 2050, two thirds of the world’s population is predicted to be urbanised, which will further impact the availability of land for agricultural production.
We are confident that the ability to control the microclimate within the ClearVue greenhouse will create an optimum growing environment to achieve higher yields. Leafy plants require protection from harmful UV rays in the same way humans need to protect their skin. Plants do this naturally by producing a waxy substance that shields them from harmful UV rays.
The ClearVue IGU glazing blocks these UV rays, so the energy required by plants to create the protective layer on leafy vegetables can be preserved to growing bigger, tastier, fresher produce which leads to improved yields and quality of produce. The research work we will undertake with Prof Li is intended to demonstrate and confirm this hypothesis.
Murdoch University has also announced its intention to become a world leader in the areas of Environment, Food and Health, which aligns perfectly with the vision and values of ClearVue Technologies. We create smart building technologies. What that means is our focus is on developing technological solutions that are focused on sustainability, energy efficiency and positive environmental outcomes.”
Authorised by the Board of ClearVue Technologies Limited.
For further information, please contact:
ClearVue Technologies Limited
Mr Victor Rosenberg
Executive Chairman
ClearVue Technologies Limited
victor@clearvuepv.com
+61 8 9482 0500
About ClearVue Technologies Limited
ClearVue Technologies Limited (ASX: CPV) 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 compliment 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 micro particles, as well as its spectrally selective coating on the rear external surface of the IGU.
ClearVue’s window technology has application for use in the building and construction and agricultural industries (amongst others).
ClearVue has worked closely with leading experts from the Electron Science Research Institute, Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Western Australia to develop the technology.
To learn more please visit: www.clearvuepv.com
Forward Looking Statements
Statements contained in this release, particularly those regarding possible or assumed future performance, revenue, costs, dividends, production levels or rates, prices or potential growth of ClearVue Technologies Limited, are, or may be, forward looking statements. Such statements relate to future events and expectations and, as such, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements depending on a variety of factors.
