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InNOVAte 2019 Challenge Spotlight: Inovues

The InNOVAte 2019 Challenge is a six-month accelerator run by Greentown Labs and the world’s leading construction and building materials company, Saint-Gobain. The program is focused on innovations that could disrupt the built environment. Keep an eye on our website for profiles on all four program participants!

Ever notice heat leaking out of your windows in the winter? Those days could be numbered.

Inovues wants to use its non-disruptive window retrofit system to improve existing buildings’ energy efficiency. Its adaptable Glazing Shields, which can be securely mounted on either side of the original window glass using a non-intrusive attachment mechanism, can increase window insulation by up to tenfold and reduce energy consumption by up to 40 percent.

This approach is cheaper, faster, and less resource-intensive than installing new window systems.

“It’ll transform a single- or double-glazed window or glass curtain-wall into a high-performing double- or triple-glazed system without removing or replacing the original glass or drilling or altering any part of the frame,” explains Inovues Founder and CEO Anas Al Kassas. “There will be a small air gap between the old glass and the new high-performance glass that together increases the insulation dramatically.”

Inovues is successfully leaving the InNOVAte 2019 Challenge with a pilot project. Inovues will install its window retrofit system at Saint-Gobain’s North America Research Center, which is located in Northborough, Mass.

The pilot installation will help Inovues showcase its patented and tested technology, and will also serve as an example for prospective partners and investors who are eager to see the system installed on an actual building.

Al Kassas says he learned a great deal from the knowledgeable mentors he was paired with during the program. One mentor introduced him to Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and the Poka-yoke technique typically used in manufacturing processes, which he says were invaluable process analysis tools.

“Having advisers that are industry experts was really helpful,” Al Kassas says. “We were able to address some business and technical challenges that require deep understanding of commercial construction and building materials that general mentors typically don’t have.”

Want to learn more about Inovues? Keep an eye on our website for updates about our members! 

Greentown Labs is a community of bold, passionate entrepreneurs creating solutions for today’s biggest climate and environmental challenges. Located in Somerville, Mass., the Greentown Labs Global Center for Cleantech Innovation is the largest cleantech incubator in North America, operating a 100,000 sq. ft. campus comprised of prototyping and wet lab space, shared office space, a machine shop, electronics lab, and a curated suite of programs and resources. Greentown Labs is home to more than 100 startups and has supported more than 230 since its inception.