Disordered Spontaneously Buckled Optical Gratings for Improved Lighting Applications
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), operated by Battelle Memorial Institute under contract to the U.S. Department of Energy, solicits interest from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use. PNNL may also be available to licensee(s) to assist in further research and development of the technology under a SPP agreement, ACT agreement, or CRADA agreement.
THE TECHNOLOGY: Please see https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.43.004895
Technologies for directing daylight deeper within a building space are highly sought after for energy efficiency applications in order to offset artificial lighting costs and to improve workplace productivity via the use of natural light. Vertical window coatings that can perform this task by redistributing sunlight deeper into a space are especially attractive as they are significantly more straightforward to incorporate into a wide variety of architectures as well as to retrofit into existing facades as compared to roof-based skylights or bulky horizontal daylight shelf type options. The potential energy savings are even greater when one takes into account the fact that such technologies would mitigate harsh glare, allowing window shades to be open for longer portions of the day. However, low-cost and readily scalable techniques are essential for widespread adoption of these window coating technologies.
PNNL has developed a potentially low-cost method and a resulting coating that can enhance daylight penetration, requiring only a thin film of polymeric material deposited on an elastomeric substrate. The coating creates a disordered, spontaneously buckled optical grating that spreads incident light without noticeable chromatic dispersion due to its stochastic patterning while maintaining acceptable optical clarity. The coating method for daylighting (bringing sunlight deeper into living spaces) uses a bottom-up fabrication method that could be applied to large areas, such as windows, while not seriously causing undesirable color artifacts, obstructing the view from the window, and not requiring power (such as electrochromic windows). The method is amenable to retrofits and perhaps application on-site to existing window surfaces.
For all inquiries, please reference Battelle IPID 31448
NOTE: THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT. Any company interested in licensing this technology must respond with a letter of interest (may be submitted by e-mail) no later than thirty (30) days from the publication date of this Notice summarizing the company's business and technical expertise and motivation for pursuing this opportunity. Companies deemed appropriate will be provided with further information on the technology. Such information may require an executed Nondisclosure Agreement. Respondents wishing to enter into negotiations for a commercial license will be required to submit a business plan for the commercialization of the technology prior to licensee(s) selection and negotiations. Please send letters of interest to the attention of the POC identified within this Notice, referencing Battelle IPID 31448.
Sara M. Hunt, Commercialization Manager, Phone 509-375-6555, Email sara.hunt@pnnl.gov
