GuRu Wireless will use the funds to support research on integrating wireless power and control with electrochromic windows to make energy-efficient building upgrades more accessible and economically viable for a wide range of commercial and government buildings.
It is anticipated that by using this technology, the cost to retrofit electrochromic windows in existing commercial buildings will be up to 90% lower than current hard-wired solutions.
Electrochromic windows are glazing solutions that enable dynamic control of the amount of light and heat passing through them to significantly improve building energy efficiency. Despite the promise of this sustainable technology, adoption in existing commercial buildings faces significant barriers due to the extensive infrastructure and labour costs related to routing power cables.
GuRu Wireless’ wireless power transfer technology can streamline the installation process and significantly reduce the cost of integrating these windows by eliminating the need for hardwired installations.
GuRu Wireless said that it will use the Phase 1 SBIR award to develop and customise its wireless power beaming system for a proof-of-concept deployment in a dedicated government laboratory installation. The successful completion of Phase 1 will form the foundation for development of a commercial-grade solution.
Commenting Narbeh Derhacobian, CEO, GuRu Wireless, said, “GuRu Wireless’ technology delivers power over the air to enable applications where batteries or wires are too expensive or impractical. Electrochromic windows in commercial buildings are a great example of this. Our technology has the potential to revolutionise the installation process and cost-effectiveness of this sustainable technology. Our approach not only decreases up-front costs, but also offers greater flexibility in window placement and design, as there’s no longer a constraint of proximity to power sources.”
GuRu Wireless’ system utilises 24GHz mm-wave phased arrays and a proprietary RF smart lensing technology developed to efficiently deliver wireless power over distance.
The system architecture is designed in a scalable and tiled format to enable different applications, use cases, form factors and power/distance requirements.
For electrochromic windows, each GuRu Wireless system can not only power and control several windows but can also act as an access point for data aggregation within a building, as the company’s transmitters can connect to building and cellular networks. GuRu Wireless has already demonstrated this capability in a number of other applications.
