A Pewaukee-based vacuum glass company is among the 25 finalists in a NASA energy competition.
The 2018 NASA iTech initiative is being held by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate to find solutions for problems on Earth and prepare for future challenges in space exploration. It’s managed by the National Institute of Aerospace in Virginia.
V-Glass was founded in 2008 by CEO Peter Petit, a researcher with 30 years of industry experience. He’s developed a vacuum seal process for windows that reduces heat loss.
The company has received over $1.6 million in grants including funding from the Small Business Innovation Research program, according to the company website. And in 2013, V-Glass took first place in the advanced manufacturing category of the Governor’s Business Plan Competition.
In a Youtube video produced by Petit, the company’s product is described as a “radically new” type of insulating window.
Dual-pane windows use separate sheets of glass often separated by argon, which conducts about a third as much heat as air. By comparison, Petit says his vacuum glass conducts none.
“Making it into the top 25 as a semifinalist for a NASA iTech cycle is no easy feat for the entrepreneurs. The quality and creativity of the proposals we receive to address some of space exploration’s toughest technical objectives are always very impressive, and it’s tough to make the cut,” said Kira Blackwell, NASA iTech program executive for STMD. Read the full story here. V-Glass is a former finalist of our Governor’s Business Plan Contest. To learn more about BPC, click here.
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