Japanese eco-tourism resort taps ClearVue solar glass for greenhouse

ASX-listed ClearVue Technologies has taken an order to supply its patented solar glass technology for use in a greenhouse at a high-profile eco-tourism and “wellness” project in Japan.

The order, announced last week, is for 187 of ClearVue’s glazing panels that will be integrated into the roof of a strawberry greenhouse which will form part of the Aqua Ignis Hot Springs project in the Fujitsuka area of Wakabayashi-ku, Sendai City.

The solar greenhouse is expected to generate around 8,573kWh of renewable energy a year based on modelling for the region, while also contributing to the eco-tourism credentials of the Aqua Ignis project.

The order is part of a deal ClearVue signed in April with Japanese company Tomita Technologies, for the sale and marketing of the PV integrated glass for use in greenhouses and protected cropping agriculture in Japan.

The Perth-based company has also successfully completed construction of a “world-first” clear solar glass greenhouse at Murdoch University in Western Australia, to demonstrate its integrated solar glass product and its potential to advance cutting edge agricultural research.

As RenewEconomy has reported, ClearVue’s technology incorporates a clear lamination layer between glass panels that drives the incoming wavelengths of UV and IR light to PV cells located around the edge of an integrated window unit to generate electricity.

This is ideal for agricultural applications, as the clear glass lets in natural sunlight, while using the light wavelengths that can be harmful to plants to convert into power.

But it is just one application for the technology, which has so far also been applied to bus shelters, a shopping centre atrium and residential buildings, among other applications.

That said, ClearVue noted the significance of the first order from its deal with Tomita, in terms of the prospect that larger orders may follow in the future.

“The Aqua Ignis Hot Springs project… is set to become a significant tourist attraction in the region with visitors able to visit the strawberry greenhouse and experience ClearVue’s world leading solar PV glazing solution,” the company said in a statement.