UbiQD Inc. was recently awarded a Small Business Innovation Research contract by the United States Air Force. The current phase II contract provides funding for two installations totaling more than 20 windows, as well as continued scale-up and development of UbiQD’s quantum dot-tinted photovoltaic window technology, called Wendow.
The company recently completed a series of demonstration projects, including installing the largest electricity generating windows ever made at Western Washington University in July. This project included two vibrant colors, orange and yellow, as well as UbiQD’s color neutral near-IR tint, highlighting the color tunability inherent with quantum dots.
Why is this important?
“This technology helps Western Washington University get closer to achieving our sustainability goals on campus,” says Vice Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate School David Patrick. “I was impressed by how easily the windows were installed, and love how great they look. I’m hoping to see more projects like this on campus in the near future.”
The increasing scale and frequency of window projects comes at a time when solar incentives are being energized in the U.S. with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. The new legislation just signed into law, now provides a tax credit of at least 30 percent for solar investments for the next 10 years.
“We are seeing strong fiscal support for sustainability initiatives in the built environment right now,” says UbiQD Founder and CEO Hunter McDaniel. “Our expanded contract with the U.S. Air Force couldn’t come at a better time for this dual use technology, right as we are scaling and ahead of the upgraded solar investment tax incentives.”
