Solutia receives grant to invest in energy-efficient building technologies

St. Louis-based Solutia Inc.'s Performance Films segment got a $356,000 grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, entitled “Recovery Act: Advanced Energy Efficient Building Technologies,” from the U.S. Department of Energy, according to a June 30 release. The awarded funds have been earmarked for the continued research, development and commercialization of high-performance, energy-efficient retrofit window film technology for residential and commercial buildings. This technology involves new film coatings and techniques designed to improve energy efficiency in every climate zone, specifically films with low emissivity properties, a measurement indicating a window’s ability to minimize far-infrared heat transmissions, which produces significant improvement in a window’s insulating properties, potentially resulting in both winter and summer energy savings. “The Department of Energy has recognized the value of window films as a retrofit solution to improving energy efficiency,” said Ray Kollar, president and general manager, Solutia’s Performance Films segment, in the release. “Today’s consumers have also learned that, just like changing their lighting, window films are an affordable, easy-to-make choice that can add significant energy savings and real value. As a global leader in film technology, we’ll use this grant to keep pushing the technology forward.”

The grant proposal requested funds to expand research of new high-performance window films for residential and commercial buildings. Solutia’s current technology is utilized in new films that add up to 92 percent more insulating power -- based on the percentage improvement in average annual insulating properties of 3-millimeter glass with film compared to the same glass without film -- to existing commercial and residential windows, according to the release. “A building’s energy efficiency starts at its windows,” explained Dave Kaliser, director of Product Marketing – Architectural, Solutia’s Performance Films segment, in the release. The proposed work will allow technologies similar to those utilized in high-performance low-E glass coatings to be incorporated into retrofit window films, while keeping costs in line with current high performance window films. “The technologies we’re working on include improved coating flexibility and low infrared-transmission coatings,” Kaliser continued. “These easy-to-install window films can increase energy efficiency year round, with much faster paybacks than traditional window replacement and substantially better energy savings per dollar spent.”Using the ARRA, the DOE is making investments to build America's clean energy future, including more than $76 million to support advanced energy-efficient building technology projects and the development of training programs for commercial building equipment technicians, building operators, and energy auditors.Click here to learn more about Solutia’s EnerLogic window films patent-pending technology and the potential energy savings.