U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced awards totaling more than $76 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support advanced energy-efficient building technology projects and the development of training programs for commercial building equipment technicians, building operators, and energy auditors. Four companies in the window film industry are included among those receiving awards.

CPFilms, part of Solutia, Inc., is receiving $356,591 toward its project titled, “Low-Emissivity Energy-Control Window Film.” The goal of the project is to develop a range of cost-effective, low-E, energy-control, retrofit window films. The project would work to provide retrofit window films with technology similar to what is used in high-performance low E glass coatings, all while keeping costs in line with current high performance window films. 

3M Company, based in St. Paul, Minn. will be receiving $1,966,611 for its project, “Polymeric Multilayer Infrared Reflecting Mirrors.” The project to develop a polymeric multilayer infrared reflecting film seeks to create a clear and colorless film that reflects 90-95 percent of infrared energy. The film would then be able to be used as a component of other building products.

Pleotint LLC will be receiving $ 402,547 in funding for its project, which will be demonstrating that a variable tint thermochromic window can provide much in the way of energy savings, and  Southwall Technologies received $1,429,326 in funding for its Heat Mirror®, a thin film that fits inside glass.