Innovation

Indow windows are window inserts made out of acrylic glazing and edged with a patented compression tube. The tubing compresses when pressed into the interior of a window frame holding the insert securely in place while sealing out cold drafts and hot air. Three main advantage of the Indow inserts are:

1. 20% reduction in heating and cooling costs

2. 50-70% noise reduction when placed over single-pane windows

3. Thermal performance:-94% of the insulation of standard double paned windows.

They have won several awards:

* Edison Award in 2012, Bronze for the Building Materials category.

* Door & Window Market Magazine Green award.

* Clean Tech Open, National Category winner-Energy Efficiency & Sustainability, 2011.

*Recognized as one of the top 10 products at Greenbuild Conference 2012 by Dwell Magazine.

Inspiration

"Being able to having a business that is growing and doing good for the world, is incredibly important to all of us", Sam remarks about his company and his employees. But it started for Sam in the early 1990's while doing graduate work at Los Alamos National Laboratory and carpooling with climate scientists. They discussed many challenging problems with energy sustainability and future climate issues. These conversations helped solidify Sam's mission of reducing the carbon footprint of excess energy waste.

Fast forward to 2009, Sam was living in a 1906 Portland, Oregon Craftsman style house that had beautiful divided light windows that were drafty and inefficient. Sam remarks, "being an environmentally minded person and very concerned about climate change, I needed to do something about it." He was told that the windows should be replaced, which would change the architectural character of the house and be expensive. He started experimenting with different ways to seal up the windows without replacing them. One day he opened his refrigerator and noticed the rubber gasket around the edge of the door. That gave him the idea for the patented compression tubing Indow uses today.

Overall impact

Indow is making a big impact on the carbon footprint of its customers. When you look at where energy is consumed in the United States, residential and commercial buildings account for 40 percent of the total energy use. Windows are one of the largest sources of energy loss from buildings. "It's not just the loss of heat or cold from windows, but also the comfort factor that initiates the control of heating or cooling", says Sam. Indow inserts create a dead air space which adds another layer of insulation that makes the window more efficient. Testing from the Unites States Department of Energy and Portland State University consistently demonstrated reductions of 20% in both heating and cooling energy costs, which is equivalent to the savings of high-end replacement windows.

Business benefit

Indow was launched in November of 2010 and has experienced continued growth. From 2012-14 the company increased its revenue by 100% each year. In 2015 Sam posted another record year by a 105% revenue increase. Currently Indows can be purchased in the US and Canada, but Sam is presently working on plans to open markets in Europe.

In 2016 Indows purchased additional 10,000 square feet of annex space with 6,500 dedicated to manufacturing a new product, which will need more expansion in the near future. Currently with the redesign of their production, they have the capability to create two different products on the same production footprint. Sam's highlights what this will provide for the company, "the production redesign will dramatically reduce the labor in takes to assemble the inserts, resulting in a minimum 60% time savings."

The long term outlook looks promising for Indow. Indow has created a product customers really love, does a good job, and has a positive impact in peoples lives", quotes Sam. Sam notes, "A product with these characteristics makes the growth of the business easier because people are willing to share the good news in discovering this completely new product with friends and family. From a business perspective, not only does the Indow effect the bottom line with reduced energy costs, but also the impact on employees. Working in a comfortable and quieter environment encourages happier and productive workers."

Social and environmental benefit

Indow is a triple bottom line company which means it considers environmental sustainability and social responsibility when judging its performance, not just on financial considerations. Sam articulates, "We believe our product has a huge positive environmental impact that helps businesses and home owners dramatically reduce their carbon footprints and save money while they are doing it. Over time our product will pay for itself by decreasing utility costs. And while our customers will enjoy an increase in comfort, they can feel good about helping the global good. In addition, historic preservationists are preserving their beautiful original windows instead of ripping them out and throwing them in a landfill."

Also important are the company's principles of being the change we seek. Sam has spear headed a complete weatherization of their building. They have installed Indows inserts, insulation, they compost, and encourage alternate forms of transportation. Sam says, "We have lots of practices in place to try to be good stewards of the resources that were using and be as efficient as possible." The company's mission is really driven by the environment, historic preservation, and a product to benefit their customers.

Interview

Sam Pardue, CEO and Founder