YPSILANTI– The U.S. Department of Energy announced that LuxWall, Inc. is one of seven U.S. companies selected to receive funds to strengthen clean energy supply chains and accelerate domestic clean energy manufacturing.
According to the press release, $275 million will be assigned to projects that “boost U.S. manufacturing, strengthen domestic clean energy supply chains, and revitalize energy communities.” The $31.7 million federal cost share assigned to LuxWall will support plans to increase its manufacturing footprint in Michigan.
The announcement was made by U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm following the inaugural meeting of the White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience.
LuxWall designs, develops, and manufactures next-generation high-performance, energy-efficient vacuum-insulating glass that delivers a glass insulation value of R-16. The company’s Enthermal™ products have the potential to disrupt the traditional glass industry as its products are very thin, yet have superior insulative properties.
“We are grateful that U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Granholm and the DOE recognize the value of our technology and its importance to the built environment and to the state of Michigan,” says LuxWall CEO Scott Thomsen. “To ensure our planet’s survival, the energy efficiency of buildings must improve exponentially and that’s where LuxWall comes in.”
According to the International Energy Agency, buildings account for 36 percent of global energy consumption and are responsible for 39 percent of global CO2 emissions.
LuxWall products can deliver 45 percent greater heat retention in the winter and 60 percent greater cooling retention in the summer as compared to conventional monolithic building glass.
LuxWall is constructing the world’s first fully automated vacuum-insulating glass production facility in Litchfield, Michigan, that will house manufacturing, quality control, office space, and laboratories. The company is planning a second manufacturing site located in the City of Detroit using proceeds from the DOE grant award. The two sites will manufacture energy-efficient glass that will be sold to residential and commercial customers in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
The company has received equity investments from Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy, Prelude Ventures, Baruch Future Ventures, 2150, and Khosla Ventures, and financing from Silicon Valley Bank and ATEL Capital Group.
Before funding is issued, DOE and the applicants will undergo a negotiation process.
To learn more about LuxWall products, visit www.luxwall.com.
