ClearVue Wins US$500,000 DOE Grant for Solar Spandrels
The grant backs a development project pairing ClearVue's solar-integrated glazing with Silfab Solar's photovoltaic manufacturing.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Energy
Live Poll
Should the federal government fund private solar technology companies with public grants?
Perth-based smart building materials company ClearVue Technologies has secured a US$500,000 grant from the United States Department of Energy. The funding supports a project to develop high-efficiency silicon solar spandrels, with Silfab Solar as manufacturing partner.
Why it matters
The project aims to bring solar power generation into building façades, windows, skylights and spandrels. ClearVue says a move into US manufacturing could also generate additional licensing revenue from its proprietary technologies.
The spandrel technology generates up to 200 watts per square metre of solar power, and the initial US$500,000 (A$712,450) phase is designated for testing and demonstration at Silfab's Burlington, Washington facility. Performance results from that testing have not yet been reported.
The players
ClearVue Technologies
A Perth-based smart building materials company whose solar-integrated architectural glazing is the basis of the spandrel technology.
Silfab Solar
A solar photovoltaic manufacturer that is partnering on the DOE project and is investing a reported US$150 million in a South Carolina cell and module facility.
United States Department of Energy
The federal agency that awarded the US$500,000 grant under its high-efficiency silicon solar spandrels initiative.
The details
ClearVue's solar spandrel system integrates directly into standard framing platforms, converting the opaque spandrel zone of a curtain wall into an energy-generating surface. The grant supports a DOE initiative titled 'Development of High Efficiency Silicon Solar Spandrels', combining ClearVue's architectural glazing expertise with Silfab's photovoltaic manufacturing capabilities.
Timeline
ClearVue reported a pipeline of open proposals valued at more than A$60 million in October last year.
The Tech Race
The project extends building-integrated photovoltaics, which has typically targeted rooftops, by applying solar generation to the opaque spandrel zone of curtain walls. It also places a Perth-based company's glazing technology alongside a US manufacturer as the sector competes to put generation into building façades.
The technology could eventually let building owners generate power from façades, windows and skylights rather than relying only on rooftop panels. The extraction does not indicate when such products might reach the market or what they would cost.
The takeaway
Building-integrated solar is moving from concept toward manufacturing, and the project's success will depend on whether testing in the Burlington facility translates into scalable production. Readers interested in the technology should watch for test results and commercial announcements from the partners.
Further reading
For broader context on how solar is moving into everyday infrastructure, see the Energy section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Age.
Live Poll
Should the federal government fund private solar technology companies with public grants?
