Anas Al Kassas

Anas Al Kassas is the founder and CEO of Inovues, an award-winning climate-tech startup that makes existing buildings more efficient and sustainable by retrofitting their façades and windows with the latest energy-saving and smart glass technologies without replacement or disruption. Al Kassas has over a decade of international experience as an architect and facade system engineer. Prior to founding Inovues, he worked with renowned architectural firms and multinational façade fabricators and specialty glazing contractors.

Throughout his career, he worked on high-profile real estate developments around the world, including 200 Amsterdam Ave., a 50-story building in New York City; Entisar Tower, the second tallest tower in Dubai and Raffles City Chongqing, a 12-million-squarefoot skyscraper city in China. Al Kassas holds a Master of Architecture degree from Boston Architectural College and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Damascus University.

How long have you been in the industry?

I come from an architectural background, specializing in façades. I founded Inovues in 2017 to address the lack of viable window retrofit solutions that did not require costly, disruptive and time-consuming replacement.

What brought you into the industry?

U.S. commercial buildings lose $57 billion annually to preventable energy loss. Buildings are also the largest carbon emitter, responsible for 40% of global CO2 emissions. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that we can realize up to 30% energy savings by upgrading them, for example, with higher performance double- or triple-pane insulated glass. Better insulated structures are also much more comfortable to work and live in. But over 70% of buildings have inefficient glass. The traditional remove-replace window retrofit method is too disruptive, wasteful and costs around $200 per square foot, resulting in unrealistic payback periods, often north of 100 years. One day, I looked at my drafty, single-pane apartment window and decided that we had to do better.

Are we neglecting the role of windows in sustainability?

To a great degree, yes, we are. Experts who understand energy efficiency and buildings urge owners to investigate the façade first, but most are conditioned to focus on the mechanical systems instead. My colleagues and I are advocating for a more holistic approach to energy conservation.

Why aren't we taking what seems to be a simple step?

We’ve discovered through hundreds of conversations with building executives that a lack of information on new technologies and strong preconceptions about affordability are two key challenges. We hope to build awareness of the inexpensive, non-replacement retrofit solutions available, and drive adoption.

What new technologies in windows and window treatments are you working on?

We constantly innovate our solutions to respond to customer input. Our systems are also glass-agnostic, which provides constant opportunities to integrate new glass technologies, such as dynamic tinting, privacy and smart glass.

Our latest collaboration is on building integrated clear photovoltaic glass for existing buildings, to electrify vertical facades and lower peak load demand.

What keeps you up at night?

The urgent need to accelerate the adoption of sustainable solutions to ensure a livable planet is a constant concern and top priority for me. As a climate tech startup, we constantly strive to find innovative and cost-effective ways to support the race to decarbonization and net zero emissions.