Alpen Advances to Semifinal Round of DOE's Building Technology Office (BTO) Secondary Glazing Solution (SGS) Competition

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‍WinSert®: Proven Performance in Commercial Applications

Alpen and six other companies were named as semifinalists on October 23 for the Department of Energy’s $2.1million Building Envelope Prize, which recognizes the most effective and affordable secondary glazing system (SGS) for improving the energy efficiency of commercial buildings. Alpen’s SGS solution, known as WinSert, has been commercially available since 2021. Prize funding will be utilized by Alpen to help accelerate planned innovations to the established WinSert product line.  The intended outcome of these innovations will be to reduce costs, enhance performance and improve the return on investment for customer’s SGS initiatives across the built environment.

Competition Structure and Impact

Most of the competitors for this award are still in the product design phase. The seven companies announced, including Alpen, were awarded $50,000 and will move on to phase two, the prototype phase, where three finalists will be chosen and awarded $200,000 each. Two winners will then be selected from the final commercialization phase in 2026, with the winner taking home $750,000 and second place $400,000. Phase three will include a focus on commercial viability, price point, ease of installation and more.

“About 40% of U.S. commercial buildings, including multifamily residences, have single-pane windows, which are uncomfortable for occupants and waste energy,” Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy AssistantSecretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, said in a press release published yesterday. “Yet less than 1% of commercial buildings get full window replacements each year because it is so expensive and disruptive for occupants.Secondary glazing systems can help solve this problem.”

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According to the DOE, phase 3 of the SGS Prize Competition,“will include implementation of an equity-focused pilot project in low-income multifamily or underserved public sector buildings. These pilots will help improve occupant comfort and energy performance in high-rise residential buildings and align with DOE’s Affordable HomeEnergy Shot™, which aims to reduce the up-front cost of upgrading a home by at least 50% while reducing energy bills by 20% within a decade.”
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Recognition and Energy Efficiency Achievements

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Building on our strong relationship with the Department of Energy, Alpen is honored to be recognized not only for our innovative contributions to the SGS Competition but also through past achievements.

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The DOE recognized Alpen last October, when we were awarded its Retro 30 Award for a fully completed WinSert retrofit of an office building located in the Pacific Tower in Vancouver, WA.  Based on 3rd party validated measurement and verification, the DOE verified that the Pacific Tower WinSert upgrade achieved a 32percent building envelope improvement (BEP) rating and Alpen’s SGS solution reduced the building's total energy consumption by an average of 13.4 percent.
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According to Alpen’s Chairman, Brad Begin, “the [Pacific Tower] project was executed flawlessly in a fully occupied, four-story commercial building in just over a week, and at a fraction of the cost of full window replacement, with virtually no tenant disruption. Those are some of the intangibles we hear over and over in project after project that we believe makes the WinSert product line a game changer.”
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By opting for WinSert as opposed to full window replacements, the owner’s of Pacific Tower reduced their up-front capital investment by a whopping 89 percent.
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Future Directions and Commitment

As Alpen advances to the next phase of the Department ofEnergy’s Building Envelope Competition, we are excited to continue demonstrating the immense potential of secondary glazing systems like WinSert. Our team remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of energy efficiency, providing innovative solutions that offer significant cost savings without disrupting building occupants. We look forward to competing in phase three, where the focus on commercial viability and equitable energy solutions aligns with our mission of transforming buildings across the country.

With WinSert, we are not only improving energy performance but also making these advancements more accessible for underserved communities, contributing to a more sustainable future for all. Stay tuned as we strive to bring home the grand prize in 2026 and continue leading the charge toward a more energy-efficient building envelope industry.

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