There is a solution to dirty marine glass! ClearShield Eco-Glass™ offers cruise lines, ferry companies, yacht owners, shipyards, and ship window and balcony manufacturers a complete and unique service that helps keeping glass on marine vessels looking like new, whilst reducing water and crew time for cleaning, in turn maximising passenger satisfaction.
For exterior glass surfaces on the bridge, lounge, canopies, deck lido and poolside surround, ClearShield Eco-Glass™ will:
For interior glass surfaces in cabins, shower enclosures, spas, and all types of decorative sandblasted glass, ClearShield Eco-Glass™ will:
The contamination of glass surfaces starts long before the ship's maiden voyage. The construction process is overly aggressive to glass, despite protective films being used. Glue left over by those films, paint deposits, silicone sealants and deposits of mineral salts create a cocktail of contamination that all contribute to stained and dirty glass, creating higher costs for ship yards and cruise lines.
Ritec's ClearShield Eco-System™ for the renovation, protection and maintenance of glass ensures all windscreens, balconies, cabin windows and all public areas are clean and transparent for the ship's maiden voyage and remain that way in the future. It is a green technology that reduces energy and water use and avoids the use of harsh and polluting cleaning agents.
Glass already contaminated is renovated whilst the ship is in port or dry dock, fitting in with normal operating and maintenance schedules. This process removes all contaminants that have not yet etched the glass during the corrosion process. The surface is restored to a pristine 'as-new' appearance, ready for the application of ClearShield® ... upgrading it to ClearShield Eco-Glass™.
After experiencing disappointing and unsuccessful trials with what is sometimes referred to as 'nanotechnology', Fullers Ferries were approached by ClearShield Auckland in 2011 who brought them the solution they had been looking for.
Over 4000m² of glass on their entire fleet of 15 vessels have since been renovated and protected with the award-winning ClearShield® protection, upgrading it to 'non-stick', easy-clean ClearShield Eco-Glass™.
A highly successful trial proved that not only did ClearShield Eco-Glass™ restore the 'as-new' appearance of the glass without the need for costly replacement, but it kept it that way year after year to the great satisfaction of passengers, crew and owners alike. The result was uninterrupted clear views for the passengers, greater safety on-board for crew, lower maintenance costs and an improved presentation for the Fullers Fleet. In addition, ClearShield Eco-Glass™ does not require harsh cleaning agents …better for the environment and costs.
The MS Royal Princess is the fifteenth Princess Cruises ship to be treated with ClearShield Eco-Glass™, providing proven and effective protection for glass from sea spray and other corrosive elements.
The application was carried out by specialists Ritec Marine Services based in the Netherlands, a subsidiary of Ritec International. Over 15,500m² of glass on board was treated. This included the soaring glass atrium, an impressive glass walkway, cabin windows and other exterior glass surfaces.
In 2013, Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cambridge christened the ship in Southampton, UK and praised its evolutionary design and use of glass.
Staining and discolouration on the glass surface caused by air-and waterborne contaminants will reduce the efficiency and effectiveness of a solar energy installation as less light is absorbed. Research has shown that:
The efficiency of solar panels has a direct link to the light transmission of glass, and therefore the cleanliness of the glass surface. In short, the cleaner the glass, the more effective the solar panel. Thanks to 'Non-stick' ClearShield Eco-Glass™, glass on installations can be renovated to remove contaminants on the surface. This in turn restores the installation's peak load performance to its original level.
For glass on photovoltaic (PV) for electricity or thermal panels for heating, ClearShield Eco-Glass™ will ...
In field trials conducted on vertical solar panels exposed to atmospheric conditions in an urban environment, ClearShield Eco-Glass™ has been proven to accumulate more watt hours over time compared to standard Anti-Reflective (AR) coated glass.
ClearShield Eco-Glass™ = Greater solar energy performance with less maintenance
Cyprus enjoys over 330 sunny days annually so solar panels installed on hotel roofs for heating water is not an uncommon sight and the Cypria Maris is no exception.
However, the hotel's location created problems for its solar panels. First, they faced the sea, so contaminants from the sea bonding on the panels was extremely corrosive to the glass surface. Secondly, the dry and dusty environment meant the panels easily got dirty. These two factors significantly impaired performance of the solar panels.
ClearShield® was subsequently applied on-site to protect the panels from the dirt and contamination. After treatment, not only were the panels operating with better efficiency, they were easier to clean and keep clean. The frequency of having to access the roof to clean the panels was also reduced, saving time and labour.