De Blasio’s 2030 Ban on Classic Glass presents Opportunity for Wisconsin Start-Up

V-Glass is developing energy efficient glass for high rise buildings

PEWAUKEE, Wis., April 24, 2019 – New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced that he would impose a ban on the classic glass and steel skyscrapers that comprise much of the city’s skyline unless they can be made much more energy efficient. V-Glass, a Wisconsin-based startup, has responded to the challenge: “No problem.”

V-Glass has developed platform technologies that will enable production of a new type of vacuum insulated glass (“VIG”) that insulates 3x times better than today's typical double-pane insulated glazing.

To demonstrate the benefits of its technology, the company was awarded a Phase II Grant by the U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technology Office, to produce a window having an R-10 insulating value.

“We’ve been able to produce such a window in our laboratory,” said V-Glass CEO Michael Petit. “Our current challenge is to develop reliable, high-throughput manufacturing processes so that the benefits of vacuum glazing can be delivered at a cost comparable to that of current insulated glass units.”

The company plans to license its technology to global insulated glass manufacturers serving both residential and commercial buildings. “We expect to have affordable vacuum glass solutions in the market, for both new construction and retrofit applications, well before de Blasio’s 2030 target,” continued Petit.

Secondary applications of V-Glass technologies are in the solar energy, automotive, and refrigeration industries.

About V-Glass

Founded in 2008, V-Glass, a Cleantech company in the Green Building sector, is developing an affordable, high efficiency VIG with the potential for high impact in the $40 billion global insulated glass industry. To date, V-Glass has received $2.9 million in funding from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the State of Wisconsin. In 2018, V-Glass was selected as a top 10 finalist in the NASA iTech Energy Competition. To learn more, visit www.v-glass.com.