News

Jan 08, 2024

AZ Inno

A Tuscon-based startup is developing smart glass technology that allows

A Tuscon-based startup is developing smart glass technology that allows homeowners to adjust window tint with the push of a button.

Glass Dyenamics plans to launch its smart glass technology in the residential market later this year, providing homeowners with increased privacy, energy efficiency and utility bill savings, according to Christopher Angelo, the company's CEO and co-founder.

Glass Dyenamics projects it could help homeowners save up to 20% in energy costs with its smart glass, which would have a similar "value proposition" as residential rooftop solar panels but a lower cost, Angelo said.

"What we want — as a team — is for everyone to be part of the clean energy transition," Angelo said. "Residential solar is stuck at 2% market penetration nationally. We want something that can go upwards of 90% to 100% market penetration."

The company's smart glass technology is activated using an electric charge and residents can control the level of window tint with a smartphone app or wall switch. Its smart glass is made by injecting an electrolyte that contains dye between two pieces of conductive glass, Angelo said.

"When you apply voltage, one dye goes to one piece of the glass and another dye goes to the other piece of glass. Both of them darken when they have an attraction to their respective pieces of glass," Angelo said. "When you take the electric voltage off, the dye migrates back to the center and the glass is then in a clear state."

Last year, Glass Dyenamics — in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory — completed the first installation of its advanced dynamic glass technology at a house in Bend, Oregon.

Glass Dyenamics will manufacture its smart glass at its production, research and development facility in Tucson with plans to expand into a larger space in the future, Angelo said.

The company has already received product pre-orders, which it expects to fill in the next four to 12 months, he said.

Glass Dyenamics is taking a phased approach to entering the residential market, beginning with a small scale product rollout and later growing regional distribution in Arizona, Oregon and California.

"Then, we would take it national," Angelo said.

While the foundation of dynamic glass technology has been around since the late 1980s, Glass Dyenamics says it's taking a unique approach to residential market commercialization.

Glass Dyenamics, which has 25 patents covering its device structure, materials, product recycling and applications, was founded by researchers that co-invented the auto-dimming mirror for automobiles.

Angelo, a former chief financial officer for Bay Area-based solar company Silicor Materials, launched Glass Dyenamics in 2017 with Anoop Agrawal, John Cronin and Maha Achour. In addition to co-inventing the auto-dimming mirror for automobiles, Agrawal and Cronin also contributed to development of the electrochromic industry's highest durability standard known as ASTM E-2141.

While at Silicor Materials, Angelo noticed that solar panels were cost-prohibitive for some customers, leading to slower market adoption, he said.

"I looked into all the true economics of it. I looked at these companies who were making billions of dollars with the likes of Sunrun, SunPower, Vivint Solar, and Solar City, which was bought out by Tesla," Angelo said. "I was like, ‘Look, there's got to be a better way to deliver this customer-value proposition, which is simply that people buy solar because they want to lower their monthly utility bills.’"

Glass Dyenamics is in the process of obtaining Energy Star certification for its products. Last month, the company announced its dynamic glass passed field testing for 150,000 cycles under ASTM environmental durability conditions, marking what it describes as a "major milestone."

"Durability is the key to success in our industry. The results we announced are really remarkable and there are only three companies in the world that have previously announced those results," Angelo said. "One of them was acquired by a major glass company. The second went public and the third received a $100 million investment from a strategic investor about two years ago."

Glass Dyenamics was among 10 awardees in the Arizona Commerce Authority's 2022 Arizona Innovation Challenge. Awardees participate in the Arizona Commerce Authority's Venture Ready Accelerator that connects companies with entrepreneurs, executives and subject matter experts.

The startup is involved in a "number of ongoing conversations" with venture capital firms as well as strategic investors, including glass and chemical companies for potential funding opportunities, Angelo said.

"Our end goal is for everyone to be part of the clean energy transition. We really look forward to fulfilling that vision," Angelo said. "We think we've got a great product to do that."