Canadian start-up secures US$2.5 million to launch omnidirectional anti-reflective glass

From pv magazine France

Montreal-based start-up Edgehog Advanced Technologies, which has developed an omnidirectional anti-reflective glass for solar panels, has secured US$2.5 million in financial support from Sustainable Development Technologies Canada (SDTC).

“We are delighted to announce the launch of our project to scale up our technology,” the company said in a statement. The special glass is hydrophobic and is claimed to be able to reduce the accumulation of dust and residue, thus reducing the need for maintenance.

Thanks to nanotextures embedded in the glass itself, the glass created by Edgehog is claimed to allow a gain in energy production of 4 to 5% when the solar rays have a normal or perpendicular incidence. Furthermore, at the start and end of the day, when energy demand is greatest, the gain can reach 25%, the manufacturer stated. The technology is also said to eliminate the need for expensive and bulky tracking mechanisms.

The funds were provided by Sustainable Development Technology Canada, a not-for-profit organization that supports development and demonstration projects of new clean energy and sustainable technologies.

“Economic recovery must be built on Canada's leadership in rapidly expanding markets that are driven by the low-carbon economy,” said the government of Canada, referring to the funding awarded to Edgehog.