Tired of constantly spending time and money on cleaning dirty solar panels, windows and skylight?    

The patent holders have finally created an effective, automatic solar panel, window and skylight cleaning system that permanently fits commercial and residential solar panels, windows and skylights, without compromising the aesthetics of the architecture. (Systems easily integrates into new construction; See FAQ's.)

Dust buildup on Solar Panels can cause up to a 15% reduction in sun light conversion. With a typical 2000 kilowatt solar electric generating system the dust and dirt would cost: 15% x 2000 = 300 watt reduction per month. 300 watts x .15 cents utility cost equals a loss of $45 a month ($540.00 per year) due to DUST and DIRT.

‘GREEN FEATURES’

Green building definition

The practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources — energy, water, and materials — While reducing building impacts on human health and the environment during the building's lifecycle, through better sitting, design, construction, operation and maintenance.

• Water - KlearvieW’s self-sustaining approach to cleaning windows is unlike anything the world has ever seen.  We capture rain water that would otherwise be unused; flowing directly into our oceans, rivers and streams. This capture rain water is stored in an underground storage tank, ultimately to be used to clean the exterior windows on your home or business.
• Energy - We combine the captured rain water resource with solar power.  By placing a small, inexpensive photovoltaic panel on your roof we are able to continually charge the 12-volt battery that powers the submersible pump inside of the rain water capture storage tank.  The combination of ‘Captured Rain Water and Solar Power’ makes the KlearvieW System a completely “Green, Self sustaining System”.
• Materials - KlearvieW takes it a step further by utilizing 75% recycled plastics during initial construction of this window cleaning system.  Additionally, all the scrap pieces that are cut in the field from extrusions of standard lengths are gathered up and recycled directly back into the plastic extrusion process, furthering our effort to help lessen the impacts on the environment.
• Maintenance – The KlearvieW System’s impact on overall maintenance costs are immense.  The labor dollars saved with implementation of the KlearvieW System will be placed directly back into the pockets of the building owners, allowing this money to be invested somewhere else or realized as a pure value engineering cost savings to the building owner.

Water Usage – We Think Green!

• The next generation KlearvieW System will use 1/8th of a gallon of water to clean a single 4’x5’ window.  Or one gallon of water to wash (8) 4’x5’ windows once.
• In today’s world it is extremely important to take our environment into consideration.  That is why the KlearvieW System inventors have developed a completely self-sustaining “Green” window cleaning system.
• This system is designed to utilize captured rain water as its power source.  Even in a very arid climate of 12” of water per year KlearvieW’s rain water capture system will collect ample water from the roof of a single family home to clean (10) 4’x5’ windows, once daily, 365 days per year.  This is accomplished is by installing an underground storage tank that is connected to your roof gutter system.  Rain water that flows through your gutter is conveyed to the underground tank (approximate size 250 gallons).  Inside of the tank is a line pump that can deliver up to 80psi and is powered via a 12-volt battery pack. This battery pack is charged utilizing a photovoltaic – Solar panel system to keep the battery energized at all times.  You can now clean your windows without any worries of wasting potable water or power plant generated power, a completely GREEN self-sustaining system. (See preface page xii for illustration)

Solar Panel – From the beginning KlearvieW Systems has always been a green company.  KlearvieW Systems has targeted solar panels as being a key component of the green future.  KlearvieW is the perfect fit for the solar panel industry.

• Solar panel utilization / implementation are not without challenges.  As a solar panel collects dust, leaves and bird droppings they become dramatically less efficient. 
• The KlearvieW system is adaptable to numerous different applications, with quick and easy change of brushes and squeegee blades to perfectly fit the end-users needs.
• Utilizing the Green self sustaining system shown on page xii. The KlearvieW Systems uses the captured rain water that sheets off of the solar panel surface into a gutter system conveying the captured rain water into a storage tank.  Inside of the storage tank is a simple line pump powered directly from the solar panels themselves.

• KlearvieW takes this one step further by recycling; utilizing the initial captured rain water as the power source to drive the mechanism.  Once expelled from the unit we capture the water and recycle so it can be used again to drive the mechanism.  It is safe to say, you can’t get any greener than that!
• Solar panels will sustain maximum efficiency with the KlearvieW System in place.
• Return on investment will take place within the first year the KlearvieW System is installed and placed into operation on a solar panel array.
• Dust buildup on Solar Panels can cause up to a 15% reduction in sun light conversion. With a typical 2000 kilowatt solar electric generating system the dust and dirt would cost: 15% x 2000 = 300 watt reduction per month. 300 watts x .15 cents utility cost equals a loss of $45 a month ($540.00 per year) due to DUST and DIRT.
  

In Summary: The purpose of this system is four fold

• To make cleaning of exterior windows, skylights and solar panels convenient for all.
• To reduce the labor costs associated with exterior window, skylight and solar panel cleaning.
• To dramatically reduce the inherent risk of cleaning exterior windows, skylights and solar panels by hand.
• To greatly lessen the impacts manual window skylight and solar panel cleaning has on our environment through the use of self-sustaining “Green” Technologies.

This water powered, automatic solar panel window and skylight cleaning system travels elliptically up and down the exterior of a solar panel, window or skylight applying brush, squeegee and existing water pressure. The KlearvieW, hydro automatic window washing System will rinse, scrub, and squeegee your solar panel windows, and skylights clean and dry in one cycle.

The KlearvieW, hydro automaticsolar panel,  window and skylight cleaning system does not require electricity to operate, which greatly simplifies installation since electrical wiring to the cleaning mechanism is not needed. While an electrically actuated valve is desirably used to control the flow of pressurized water to the motor, such a valve can be installed at any convenient location inside the building, or connection can as simple as a garden hose bib. (System can be programmed to run via automatic timer, almost exactly like a lawn sprinkler!)

Another advantage is that water discharged from the motor is rinsing the window surface, which further simplifies installation and construction of the device since a separate mechanism for wetting the window surface is not required.

Several designs have been proposed for  devices that accomplish automatic solar panel, window and skylight cleaning. Many of such devices have failed to provoke interest with architects and engineers as they require a worker to be positioned outside of the building to set up the window washing apparatus. Other permanently installed devices utilize extremely bulky and unsightly equipment. Finally, many automatic solar panel, window and skylight cleaning devices are so complex that it becomes economically impractical to permanently mount such an apparatus on each window of a building.

OUR MISSION: To dramatically reduce the inherent dangers and reoccurring costs associated with manually leaning commercial and residential solar panles, windows and skylights providing  the building / homeowner the convenience of automatically cleaning these surfaces with the touch of a button.

Marketing Opportunity:

The marketing opportunity for the KlearvieW system is potentially limitless. The costs and liabilities of manually cleaning solar panels, windows and skylights that are logistically difficult / hazardous to reach will be completely eliminated for owners of commercial structures and high end residential homes.

Patent Holder’s Goals:

To find and formulate an agreement that will move the KlearvieW system from a design concept to a product that is commercially available to a wide range of markets and applications.

Industry Trends:

Past trends in the window washing industry clearly show that building and homeowners are spending billions annually on view glass maintenance, only to have their windows washed quarterly. A substantial percentage of Facades containing curtain wall or storefront windows require weekly or daily washing at the expense of the owner, and more often than not the risk of a laborer.

The Integrated Facade Cleaning Ecosystem will make commercial window washing hazard free, effortless, and green. All prospective fatalities, injuries and costs associated with manually washing view glass on the given structure will be completely eliminated and the building will be clean in a fraction of the time normally required, using no more than existing water and air power to operate. (See FAQ's for specific system mechanics.)

DISCUSSION OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CURRENT KLEARVIEW PROTOTYPE AND FINAL, PLANNED PRODUCTION MODEL

The inventors have developed the current KlearvieW prototype with one thing in mind, to prove the concept of the KlearvieW System to the US Patent and Trademark Office, as well as future investors. It was never the intent of the concept prototype to be retrofitted to numerous types / styles of windows. The prototype is not the final version.  The final production model will be ready to install/retrofitted to any window type or mullion style.

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Click play arrow to view Concept Prototype.

The inventors have designed the final production model via solid modeling and CAD design software.  This is where the inventors need to connect with an investor that has the innovative vision and the financial wherewithal to complete the real world development and testing of this final production model.  This will ultimately be the final KlearvieW System production model that will be easily adaptable to practically all fixed picture windows, skylights and solar panels.

Planned Production Model

Adaptability of the KlearvieW System to multiple different window, skylight and solar panel designs is absolutely achievable with the final production model.  To explain further, please visit the FAQ web page

• The concept proto-type tracks have been constructed from aluminum and were machined out individually, to fit one specific window size.

The concept proto-type drive shaft has been constructed from aluminum tubing to specifically fit one window, only.

"Falls from ladders when cleaning windows were found to result in 20 deaths and 1500 major injuries a year, the majority in the domestic/DIY situation. The numbers are increasing."

 - Building Research Establishment (BRE), Summary Report          

"Window cleaning revealed as most hated household chore."

- Pilkington Glass

"Homeowners spend up to a total of 11.9 million hours a year cleaning windows."

- Pilkington Glass

“Cleaning windows on a regular basis will help

keep climactic conditions in check and can save you thousands and thousands of dollars in window replacement costs over time."

- Stefan Bright, Buildings.com

"I'd like to research maintaining buildings. There should be a much easier way to wash windows, like using robotic window washing. If you really put your mind to that issue, a lot of other things can be integrated into the architecture that could be very beneficial and cost effective."

- Adrian Smith of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture

"A major concern for the owner or operator of any facility is the care of the structure. With the increasing use of window and glass coverage on newer facades, additional, specialized attention is needed."

- Published in buildings, August 2006

THE KLEARVIEW FIXED PICTURE RETROFIT SYSTEM PROVIDES A PERMANENT, UNIQUE SOLUTION FOR:

•  High end home owners spending thousands of dollars (individually) annually on professional window and skylight cleaning services and/or home owners frustrated with the reoccurring chores and risks of cleaning these windows themselves (i.e. beach front homes, condo’s, resorts and hotels of which daily cleaning of the view glass is desired if not required, due to the constant salt spray (as seen above) inundation that inhibits these luxurious views daily).

• Specialty/Niche markets such as glass carwash owners with daily water/soap spotting issues and manufacturers of these high maintenance structures. The KlearvieW System will substantially increase street side advertising for this application

• Public aquarium owners hiring scuba certified divers to clean marine habitat view glass by hand. Power for the system can be circulated from existing tank water!

Put simply, the KlearvieW System will put these expenditures directly back in the customers pocket as well as eliminating more than the majority of fatalities and injuries associated with manual, low rise, view glass maintenance!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PUBLIC PATENT LITERATURE