South African project aims for 6-star rating courtesy of ClearVue’s photovoltaic technology
ClearVue has completed the first commercial sale and delivery of its product in South Africa.
Perth-based smart building materials company ClearVue Technologies (ASX: CPV) says it has reached a key milestone on its mission to achieve growth in the South African market.
The ASX-listed company confirmed the delivery on a “length sale” of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels to property development group GrowthPoint Properties.
In a statement to the market, ClearVue reported that GrowthPoint plans to integrate the purchased panels into a project it is currently completing for prominent South African mining company Exxaro in Centurion, Pretoria.
As a company, ClearVue specialises in integrating solar technology into building and agricultural industries, specifically glass and building surfaces, to provide renewable energy.
ClearVue has developed advanced glass technology that aims to preserve glass transparency to maintain building aesthetics while generating electricity.
The Exxaro project was first tabled in partnership with green building electrical engineering advisory Conscius Consultants in conjunction with other firms who assisted with the implementing ClearVue’s photovoltaic innovations as part of the new build.
The dawn of new-age photovoltaics
Solar PV cells are incorporated around the edges of an insulated glass unit (IGU) used in windows and the lamination interlayer between the glass. ClearVue’s four 1.2m by 1.2m panels in the IGU incorporate its patented nano and microparticles, as well as its spectral selective coating on the rear external surface of the IGU.
According to ClearVue, Conscius Consultants was introduced to Glass Partners and has gone on to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ClearVue in December last year. Furthermore, the group of companies intend to work together on future projects including those where Conscius has been engaged by Growthpoint.
Together, the companies have committed to deploying a small number of ClearVue IGU panels into the Exxaro building to assist them in obtaining a six-star rating for the new building.
Through Conscius Consultants, ClearVue says its products have been approved by the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) as an “innovative renewable product solution” which qualifies for what’s known as an “innovation credit” – a state-sponsored scheme that encourages, recognises and rewards the spread of innovative technologies, designs and processes that impact on the overall environmental performance of a building.
CleaVue has said that acceptance of its products for the innovation credit will also mean that its PV products can now be specified in up to a further five to six projects that are also in-line to receive the state-sponsored benefit.
As part of a post-build monitoring process overseen by Professor Wynand Steyn from the University of Pretoria, the professor has been invited to participate with Growthpoint and Conscius on the Exxaro project to collect data from the ClearVue PV glass with a view to understanding how best to deploy the product into future projects in the Southern African region.
“Conscius and Growthpoint were very pleased to find the ClearVue PV solution for this project as a way to assist us in finding additional credits towards the possibility of achieving higher green star ratings on new projects,” said Peet Botha, managing director of Conscius.
“Whilst not unlimited in scope, the opportunity to use the innovation credit obtained from use of the ClearVue PV window will benefit a number of other projects we have in the pipeline and we are looking forward to working with ClearVue and Glass Partners on these smaller innovation demonstration opportunities but also into full placements into buildings and at scale in the future,” Mr Botha said.
This morning’s news helped ClearVue shares to add 3.85% to trade at $0.27 late morning.