E-Chromic Technologies, Inc.

e-Chromic Technologies, Inc. (e-Chromic), a Colorado based company headquartered in Boulder Colorado, has an exclusive License to develop and commercialize technology that was created and patented by the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) in Golden CO.

e-Chromic is developing an electrochromic thin film that provides energy efficiency by rejecting heating from solar radiation. The electrochromic (EC) technology is unique due to its ability to turn diffusely reflective when activated. Other dynamic or smart window products turn dark when activated. In the presence of direct sunlight, these dark surfaces absorb sunlight and re-emit it as heat (this is very similar to black asphalt paving burning bare feet on a beautiful 900F sunny afternoon). This “heating problem� can exceed 600C. In order to isolate their “heating problem� to prevent introducing heat into the very structure that they are trying to cool, manufacturers of dynamic (or smart) windows imbed their technology into the interior of new insulated glass (window) units. This results in the cost to the end user being very expensive from both a hardware perspective (must buy a new window) as well as a services perspective (must pay to have old window removed and new window installed). Additionally, the market opportunity for these solutions is extremely limited to new building construction or building rehabs where windows are being replaced. In both cases the smart window supplier is competing with an offering that is likely at the high end of the pricing scale.

E-Chromic’s smart window technology turns diffuse reflective when activated. Therefore, it does not suffer from the “heating problem�. This enables our EC technology to be placed on a flexible substrate (glass or plastic) and used to retrofit existing windows, transforming ordinary existing windows into highly energy efficient smart windows. Because we are installing a thin film as opposed to new window units, our solution costs the end user substantially less for both hardware and services than other smart window technologies. Instead of serving a very limited market, our market opportunity is huge. DOE estimates that there are approximately 19.5 billion ft2 of installed windows in the US alone. According to results from NREL’s energy modeling, reflective smart window technology achieves 43% greater overall energy savings than absorptive technologies. Reduction in air conditioner usage, together with the related reduction in CO2 emissions, is estimated to be approximately 35%.

I addition to window retrofit, our diffuse reflective electrochromic technology can be built into the interior of new window units to compete with state-of-the-art smart window being marketed today. Auto manufacturers are interested in non-absorptive electrochromic applications for windows and sunroofs. Reduction of vehicle air conditioner usage directly improves fuel economy and extends range for electric vehicles. Providers of consumer electronics (Apple) and consumer appliances (Whirlpool) are also considering product offerings that include non-absorptive electrochromic technology.

e-Chromic follows the lean start-up model. From Sept. 2011 through Sept. 2014, e-Chromic outsourced R&D to NREL via a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA). This was the most capital efficient approach at that stage of development as it gave us access to NREL’s world-class smart window scientists as well as their tremendous lab facilities. As an indication of the importance that DOE and NREL place of the prospects of the e-Chromic technology, the company has received five different grants and internal funding allocations totaling $400k. In Dec. 2014, e-Chromic move its lab operations to a private lab in northern California.