{"id":477729,"date":"2024-05-23T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-23T04:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovationorigins.com\/?p=477729"},"modified":"2024-05-23T06:30:00","modified_gmt":"2024-05-23T04:30:00","slug":"controlling-light-to-boost-energy-efficiency-so-stijn-kragt-is-giving-an-impulse-to-the-green-transition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/controlling-light-to-boost-energy-efficiency-so-stijn-kragt-is-giving-an-impulse-to-the-green-transition\/","title":{"rendered":"Controlling light to boost energy efficiency, so Stijn Kragt is giving an impulse to the green transition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cAs a kid, I was fascinated to see how things work on a small scale and how this translates into bigger objects. I was interested in learning how the materials around me would work,\u201d says Stijn Kragt. Fast forward to twenty years, he\u2019s the CEO of ClimAd Technology<\/a>, a startup developing film coatings for glass. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kragt\u2019s interest in science made him study chemistry at the Radboud University of Nijmegen and eventually pursue a Ph.D. at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU\/e). It was then that, besides his extensive knowledge of the topic, he wanted to use his Ph.D. research to impact the world positively. So, he founded ClimAd with professor Guofu Zhou ClimAd, which is still headquartered at the chemistry faculty of the TU\/e. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Green Transition Drivers<\/h2>

Reducing emissions, optimizing resource use, and uptaking green energy are some of the practices we need to uptake to transition towards a greener economy. But who’s behind the green transition? In our series called the Green Transition Drivers, we put entrepreneurs and innovators working to make our economy greener. <\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Comfort and energy efficiency <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

ClimAd focuses on making glass smart. The company developed a photochromic film, a thin coating that can change color and reject heat based on light intensity. On sunny days, this film gives the glass a visual tint and rejects heat; on cloudy ones, it stays transparent, letting light and heat in. Controlling the amount of daylight inside a building allows for better control over energy consumption, thus optimizing heating and cooling. \u201cWe try to combine comfort and energy efficiency,\u201d summarizes Kragt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The photochromic film is based on inorganic pigments \u2013 molecules ad hoc designed by ClimAd \u2013  that absorb ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun, changing their oxidation state. As a result, the color changes, and the tint on the glass becomes visible. In dark conditions, the glass turns transparent again. The film does the job by itself: no external wiring or complementary electronics are needed to make it work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further down the way, the company plans to launch its thermochromic film. Contrary to photochromic film, this technology uses liquid crystals to reflect light. \u201cThese crystals, which are also the ones I worked on during my Ph.D., can reflect specific wavelengths of light. We can tune them to change the amount of solar heat the film reflects at a specific temperature,\u201d he clarifies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A visual explanation of the photochromic film functioning. \u00a9 ClimAd Technology<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
<\/a>
<\/div><\/div>
You can find the other episodes of the Green Transition Drivers here<\/div>
In our series called the Green Transition Drivers, we put entrepreneurs and innovators working to make our economy greener. <\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Savings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The company analyzed the energy savings its technology can bring. If we were to replace double-glazing windows with windows equipped with ClimAd, a building could achieve 38% to 51% energy savings in a year. \u201cAcross Europe, that would translate to over 1,100 terawatt hours of energy saved each year, using our technology in the whole European building stock,\u201d the CEO points out. <\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>
<\/div><\/div>
These five innovations make your house more energy efficient and cut your energy bills<\/div>
Having a more energy-efficient house is good for the environment and your pocket amid rising energy prices and more stringent climate measures. Buildings\u2019 energy efficiency will make a lot of difference in energy costs, the leading Dutch energy supplier Essent warns in a new study on the energy bill for 2035. <\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Impact <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since its founding in 2019, the company has spent most of its time developing the technology and aims to have the first outdoor pilots by the end of the year. In these past years, the company has collaborated with both European and Chinese partners, receiving funding grants that allow it to continue researching technology while setting foot in the glass industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Stijn Kragt – \u00a9 ClimAd Technology<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The journey has, so far, been enriching for Kragt, who had to learn how to become an entrepreneur after being a scientist. Kragt sees himself growing in this position and gradually switching from academia to entrepreneurship. \u201cIn the beginning, funding is vital to make a start, and it\u2019s something you are not used to as a scientist. Looking for customer collaborations and writing funding letters is completely different from presenting a paper at a conference,\u201d he adds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The years of experience took him away from some of the naivety he had at the beginning. \u201cWhen I started, I wanted to create something and use the knowledge I had acquired in my Ph.D. years to make society a better place,\u201d he recalls. This journey, first as a chief technology officer (CTO) and then as CEO, didn\u2019t come without its challenges and hiccups, but also with many lessons learned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transition <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yet, the same motivation as in the early days is what pushes him. Although ClimAd films are yet to be applied to any building, the CEO is starting to see the impact of his work on the glass industry. As the sector, like many others, moves toward smarter and more environmentally friendly standards, startups can have a say in pushing such transitions. \u201cBy being part of the industry, we can drive the transition and make an impact. I truly believe that if we can make the technology work, we can use it in many buildings and create the impact we are looking for,\u201d Kragt highlights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a very accurate person, a trait that helped make a career in chemistry, Kragt clearly sees what\u2019s needed to push the green transition further. \u201cOn one hand, I think innovation needs to drive the transition. On the other, politics needs to stimulate it. The two need to come together at the right time, and then we will see the transition happening,\u201d he outlines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A roll of film – \u00a9 ClimAd Technology<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Go with the flow <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the meantime, ClimAd plans to extend its network, catering to building managers, and enter the market with the photochromic film with a step-by-step approach. In Kragt\u2019s view, having a film with the intrinsic ability to interact with light is a pure novelty for the market and a strong selling point. \u201cThis makes it up to four times cheaper than electrically switchable solutions. With our tech, we can make smart glass mainstream,\u201d he adds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kragt is enjoying the journey at the helm of ClimAd Technology. When he started as a Ph.D., he didn\u2019t expect him to turn into a startupper. Looking further back and having the chance to talk to the kid with a passion for science, he would just say to go by the flow. \u201cStay open-minded.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cAs a kid, I was fascinated to see how things work on a small scale and how this translates into bigger objects. I was interested in learning how the materials around me would work,\u201d says Stijn Kragt. Fast forward to twenty years, he\u2019s the CEO of ClimAd Technology, a startup developing film coatings for glass.  […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2084,"featured_media":506425,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[83676],"tags":[84653,42685,84655,38561,132],"location":[6763],"article_type":[43139],"serie":[],"archives":[],"internal_archives":[],"reboot-archive":[82815],"class_list":["post-477729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-green","tag-climad-technology","tag-energy-efficiency","tag-green-transition-drivers","tag-smart-glass","tag-tue","location-netherlands","article_type-features","reboot-archive-green"],"blocksy_meta":[],"acf":{"subtitle":"For the first episode of the Green Transition Drivers, IO spoke with Stijn Kragt, CEO of ClimAd Technology, a startup working on making glass smart. ","text_display_homepage":false},"author_meta":{"display_name":"Mauro Mereu","author_link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/author\/mauro-mereu\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Cover3-1.png","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["GREEN+<\/a>"],"unlinked":["GREEN+<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["ClimAd Technology<\/a>","energy efficiency<\/a>","Green Transition Drivers<\/a>","smart glass<\/a>","TU\/e<\/a>"],"unlinked":["ClimAd Technology<\/span>","energy efficiency<\/span>","Green Transition Drivers<\/span>","smart glass<\/span>","TU\/e<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 2 years ago","modified":"Updated 2 years ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on May 23, 2024","modified":"Updated on May 23, 2024"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on May 23, 2024 6:30 am","modified":"Updated on May 23, 2024 6:30 am"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2084"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=477729"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477729\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/506425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=477729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=477729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=477729"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=477729"},{"taxonomy":"article_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_type?post=477729"},{"taxonomy":"serie","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/serie?post=477729"},{"taxonomy":"archives","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/archives?post=477729"},{"taxonomy":"internal_archives","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal_archives?post=477729"},{"taxonomy":"reboot-archive","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reboot-archive?post=477729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}