| Jun 02, 2011 |
National Grid provides $225K grant to UAlbany NanoCollege for green energy initiative to establish Solar Power Control and Monitoring Center
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(Nanowerk News) National Grid today presented a $225,000 Renewable Energy and Economic Development grant to the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany to help enable a green energy initiative that will establish a Photovoltaic Control and Monitoring Center (PVCMC) at CNSE's Albany NanoTech Complex. The first grant to be awarded in eastern New York as part of National Grid's Renewable Energy and Economic Development Program will support future solar power generation systems across New York State.
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The $225,000 National Grid grant will be used to develop, install and demonstrate a state-of-the-art control and monitoring center. The PVCMC will enable gathering of real-time research data that will provide designers, architects and installers with critical feedback to accelerate the construction and integration of roof-mounted PV systems across New York, fueling increased deployment of green energy in homes and businesses.
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The UAlbany NanoCollege will partner with EYP Energy and Alteris Renewables to establish the PVCMC, which is part of a larger $1.35 million solar demonstration initiative that will evaluate and compare state-of-the-art, thin film-based solar PV technologies as a means of accelerating the use of clean energy technologies.
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This grant demonstrates National Grid's continuing commitment to CNSE. In 2008, National Grid supported CNSE with a grant for $250,000 to offset the costs incurred by building a new substation for the facility.
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"As the Capital Region's local energy company, National Grid is pleased to join with the College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering as an example of public-private partnerships that can work, and help bring economic vitality to the area," said Ken Daly, National Grid's President of New York. "What's more, supporting expanding technology in renewable energy makes National Grid's local grant an investment that will spread the benefits even beyond the region." |
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"The UAlbany NanoCollege is grateful to National Grid for its continued support in furthering CNSE's efforts to develop innovative, nanotechnology-enabled green energy technologies," said Dr. Alain E. Kaloyeros, Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of CNSE. "This investment will serve to accelerate CNSE's growing portfolio in solar energy technologies, which hold great promise for reducing energy consumption, protecting the environment, and generating economic growth to benefit all New Yorkers."
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"CNSE's PV Control and Monitoring Center will become a key regional and statewide asset, driving additional PV installations in New York State and generating substantial economic development through business attraction and job growth," said Dr. Pradeep Haldar, Vice President for Clean Energy Programs at CNSE. "In addition, the demonstration facilities will serve as a living laboratory to train undergraduate and graduate students to perform research and enable technology transfer to industry."
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The National Grid Renewable Energy and Economic Development Grant program funds projects that demonstrate alternative generation technologies, such as solar, while promoting economic development for the region. This National Grid grant is part of the company's comprehensive economic development plan for upstate New York. For more information and program descriptions, visit National Grid's Economic Development website at: http://www.shovelready.com/.
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