Luca Papaiz could easily have sat back and rested on his laurels. In 2016, the innovation consultant for a sun protection devices company founded the start-up glassAdvisor alongside colleagues from around the world. Since then, they have completely won the market over with their product: a calculation tool that runs on any tablet and delivers glazing performance indicators in minutes – work that would otherwise keep specialists at large engineering firms busy for much longer. This applies whether the tool is used for static calculations, sound insulation measures or simulating the thermal-optical effect of sun protection devices. “With our app, we enable planners, but also ordinary glaziers, to perform calculations that could previously only be carried out by highly qualified professionals”, explains the company founder. 

So why did he decide to take part in the first edition of the Fusion Grant? Because Luca Papaiz was ready to take the next step. “So far, we have focused on streamlining existing processes. Now we want to break into new areas,” he says. Specifically, these new developments relate to the complexity that arises from the interaction between glazing and sun protection devices. There are so many variables at play here that it is often virtually impossible to calculate exactly how much louvres, Venetian blinds or other forms of solar shading prevent heat build-up in the glass or contribute to cooling. One of the most uncertain factors is the air currents that flow between the window and the sun protection; these are often too slow to measure. 

GlassAdvisor received new impetus to overcome this hurdle at the Institute for Renewable Energy at Eurach Research in the context of the Fusion Grant. Who was Papaiz’s sparring partner there? Postdoctoral researcher Giuseppe De Michele, part of the Energy Efficient Building research group, specialises – among other things – in developing methods to assess the thermo-optical performance of complex window systems using simulations and measurements. Over the course of the past year, he has worked with glassAdvisor to develop algorithms that enable more variables to be factored in, resulting in much more accurate static and dynamic energy simulations of complex glass building façades. This is an important step – and not just for glassAdvisor. The more accurately the energy performance of such transparent building envelopes can be assessed, the more environmentally friendly the buildings can be designed and occupied. 

Both partners are already very happy with the results. “I am used to research projects usually lasting three to four years and involving several partners. Therefore, it was all the more exciting to spend a year working in such a practical way with a local company and already have a fairly concrete result,” explains Giuseppe De Michele. Luca Papaiz is even more enthusiastic: “Thanks to the Fusion Grant, we have already achieved excellent results that allow us to simulate any type of sun protection,” the entrepreneur exclaims. “Above all, we have now overcome a bottleneck that had previously been holding back the further development of our product. This breakthrough opens up a whole new realm for us, enabling us to develop additional simulations for numerous specific products.” 

So, what exactly is the Fusion Grant? Launched in 2020 by the South Tyrol Savings Bank Foundation and coordinated by NOI Techpark in cooperation with the South Tyrol Economic Circle and Rete Economia – WirtschaftsNetz, the competition aims to promote cooperation between NOI-based research institutions and companies, as well as supporting highly qualified researchers under the age of 40 by granting scholarships. Interested companies and research teams can find more information at: noi.bz.it/fusion-grant.