Windows and Walls That Cut Energy Bills
RavenBrick
Alex Burney, Wil McCarthy, Dr. Richard Powers
Buildings guzzle more energy than any other sector of the U.S. economy—more than cars or any other culprit—and their heating and cooling demands account for the biggest share. Serial entrepreneur Alex Burney, 41, engineer and writer Wil McCarthy (author of the seminal book Hacking Matter, 43, and engineer and scientist Dr. Richard Powers, 44, founded clean-tech startup RavenBrick in 2007 to use their nanotechnology innovations to improve the energy efficiency of building materials, raising $3.5 million from venture capital firms and angel investors, including Michael Barnstijin, co-founder of Research In Motion (RIMM). The 12-person company's signature product, windows that automatically shift from a transparent to a reflective state based on changes in outside temperatures, can defray heating and cooling costs by as much as 50% in most buildings. Since landing the first sale in August to the U.S. Energy Dept. for the new National Renewable Energy Laboratory, RavenBrick has been on a roll. Burney says virtually every major glass company in Canada and the U.S. is interested in purchasing the technology to apply to their own windows. "We thought we’d originally manufacture the filters in our office in downtown Denver, but given the fact that interest is so huge, we’re now looking to outsource that production to a big facility to meet demand." At the end of December, RavenBrick secured a notice of allowance for each of its 53 patent claims from the U.S. Patent Office. Burney estimates the company will be profitable in the second quarter of 2010, with more than $5 million in revenue by yearend.
—Nick Leiber (posted on Jan. 5, 2010)
Alex Burney, Wil McCarthy, Dr. Richard Powers
Buildings guzzle more energy than any other sector of the U.S. economy—more than cars or any other culprit—and their heating and cooling demands account for the biggest share. Serial entrepreneur Alex Burney, 41, engineer and writer Wil McCarthy (author of the seminal book Hacking Matter, 43, and engineer and scientist Dr. Richard Powers, 44, founded clean-tech startup RavenBrick in 2007 to use their nanotechnology innovations to improve the energy efficiency of building materials, raising $3.5 million from venture capital firms and angel investors, including Michael Barnstijin, co-founder of Research In Motion (RIMM). The 12-person company's signature product, windows that automatically shift from a transparent to a reflective state based on changes in outside temperatures, can defray heating and cooling costs by as much as 50% in most buildings. Since landing the first sale in August to the U.S. Energy Dept. for the new National Renewable Energy Laboratory, RavenBrick has been on a roll. Burney says virtually every major glass company in Canada and the U.S. is interested in purchasing the technology to apply to their own windows. "We thought we’d originally manufacture the filters in our office in downtown Denver, but given the fact that interest is so huge, we’re now looking to outsource that production to a big facility to meet demand." At the end of December, RavenBrick secured a notice of allowance for each of its 53 patent claims from the U.S. Patent Office. Burney estimates the company will be profitable in the second quarter of 2010, with more than $5 million in revenue by yearend.
—Nick Leiber (posted on Jan. 5, 2010)
