June 4, 2012 – On May 22, Austria’s minister of technology, Doris Bures, presented the State Prize 2012 for Clean Technology Austria to Karl Gruber, CEO of the Lisec Group, and Leopold Mader, head of research and development. Lisec was awarded first prize in research and innovation for its pioneering thin glass technology. This is the second time in five years that Lisec has won the State Prize.
The winners of the three categories, with
three nominees each, had been selected by an independent panel of
experts and were announced during a gala dinner at the Hofburg
Palace in Vienna. Austria’s minister of the environment, Nikolaus
Berlakovich, presented the prize in the category of Environment and
Climate; the minister for economic affairs and energy, Reinhold
Mitterlehner, presented the prize for energy and efficiency; and
Doris Bures, minister of technology, presented the prize for research and innovation. This year, over 200 projects were
submitted. The best project in each category was awarded the State Prize
by the minister responsible.
Lisec’s project, Weight and Energy Efficiency Optimisation with Flat
Glass Systems, was selected as the winner. “Winning this award is
something we can be very proud of,” Gruber said. "It is testament to our innovative strength and
shows that we are on the right path."
The innovative tempering technology ensures greater mechanical stability
and increased flexibility in thin glass in particular. When used in insulating glass, it can significantly reduce the weight of
triple units. The new technology almost halves energy consumption
during the manufacture and transport of panels from 25 kilowatt-hours per square metre (four-millimetre
glass) to only 14.2 kilowatt-hours per square metre (two-millimetre glass, the tempering process included),
which again results in an increased estimated life cycle for glazed
units.
Lightweight, flexible but still robust glass sheets without optical
distortions are the perfect solution for modern architecture. But also
the PV and the solar industry can benefit from the innovative thin
glass, for example by using it in cold-bent CSP mirrors or glass-glass
modules.
Besides the improved material properties and the high potential for resource and energy savings, the expert panel particularly emphasized the technology’s great market potential. “After the State Prize for innovation we were awarded in 2007, and given the growing challenges we are facing worldwide, winning this award is a welcome tribute,” said Mader. “Innovation distinguishes us from others, and our innovation also makes us an attractive employer for talented engineers who bring new ideas to the table."
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