When New York lost out two years ago on federal funding for an ambitious, statewide effort focused on developing companies and new technology in the energy-efficiency space, organizers could have simply walked away. Instead, the group of more than 100 partners, led by Syracuse University (SU), decided to press ahead. The first phase of their plans […]
When New York lost out two years ago on federal funding for an ambitious, statewide effort focused on developing companies and new technology in the energy-efficiency space, organizers could have simply walked away.
Instead, the group of more than 100 partners, led by Syracuse University (SU), decided to press ahead. The first phase of their plans is now becoming a reality. The state last year awarded the effort, known as the New York Energy Regional Innovation Cluster, $3 million as part of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative
The innovation cluster project was a key piece of Central New York’s proposal for the regional council initiative, which awarded $200 million in competitive funding and a total of $785 million. Central New York’s plan won $103.7 million.
The $3 million for the innovation cluster will go toward outfitting the Syracuse Center of Excellence with new labs for research and testing of products. The total cost of the project is $8.7 million, with the remainder coming from federal grants and private funding, including money from SU.
Some of the technologies studied in the labs could include fuel cells, combined heat and power systems, smart-grid applications, photovoltaic-power generation, wind-power generation, and battery storage. The initial state funding will also add new transportation infrastructure at the center, including a special parking surface outfitted for testing stormwater-management technology and charging stations for electric vehicles.
The work the partners put in while developing the proposal for federal funds convinced them the state has the resources to be a major player in the energy-efficiency space, says Edward Bogucz, director of the Syracuse Center of Excellence, which will serve as a hub for the innovation cluster.
“We were enthusiastic about the team we put together,” he says.
The center and its more than 200 collaborators at companies and institutions throughout upstate New York work on issues related to clean and renewable energy, indoor environmental quality, and water resources.
The innovation cluster could establish New York as a national and international hotbed for energy-efficiency research and commercialization, Bogucz says. The full project would cost $225 million and involve programs aimed at all stages of product development from basic research to manufacturing, he adds.
Partners haven’t nailed down where that funding would come from, but the idea is for $75 million to come from state sources. Those dollars would in turn attract further investment from private sources such as the universities involved, Bogucz says.
In addition to a focus on research and product development, the cluster will concentrate on connecting upstate companies with the New York City market. The Big Apple has plenty of buildings that could benefit from efficiency upgrades, according to Bogucz.
In fact, New York City policies mandate that some building owners undertake improvements aimed at reducing energy use, he adds.
“They’re driving the market for buildings to become more energy efficiency,” Bogucz says.
The city is also an international hub.
“It essentially becomes a global showcase for products from upstate New York companies,” Bogucz says.
Some of the first companies to work in the new Center of Excellence labs will be DeWitt–based NuClimate Air Quality Systems, Inc., Pulaski–based Fulton Cos., and Syracuse–based Ephesus Technologies, LLC.
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When New York lost out two years ago on federal funding for an ambitious, statewide effort focused on developing companies and new technology in the energy-efficiency space, organizers could have simply walked away.
Instead, the group of more than 100 partners, led by Syracuse University (SU), decided to press ahead. The first phase of their plans is now becoming a reality. The state last year awarded the effort, known as the New York Energy Regional Innovation Cluster, $3 million as part of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative
The innovation cluster project was a key piece of Central New York’s proposal for the regional council initiative, which awarded $200 million in competitive funding and a total of $785 million. Central New York’s plan won $103.7 million.
The $3 million for the innovation cluster will go toward outfitting the Syracuse Center of Excellence with new labs for research and testing of products. The total cost of the project is $8.7 million, with the remainder coming from federal grants and private funding, including money from SU.
Some of the technologies studied in the labs could include fuel cells, combined heat and power systems, smart-grid applications, photovoltaic-power generation, wind-power generation, and battery storage. The initial state funding will also add new transportation infrastructure at the center, including a special parking surface outfitted for testing stormwater-management technology and charging stations for electric vehicles.
The work the partners put in while developing the proposal for federal funds convinced them the state has the resources to be a major player in the energy-efficiency space, says Edward Bogucz, director of the Syracuse Center of Excellence, which will serve as a hub for the innovation cluster.
“We were enthusiastic about the team we put together,” he says.
The center and its more than 200 collaborators at companies and institutions throughout upstate New York work on issues related to clean and renewable energy, indoor environmental quality, and water resources.
The innovation cluster could establish New York as a national and international hotbed for energy-efficiency research and commercialization, Bogucz says. The full project would cost $225 million and involve programs aimed at all stages of product development from basic research to manufacturing, he adds.
Partners haven’t nailed down where that funding would come from, but the idea is for $75 million to come from state sources. Those dollars would in turn attract further investment from private sources such as the universities involved, Bogucz says.
In addition to a focus on research and product development, the cluster will concentrate on connecting upstate companies with the New York City market. The Big Apple has plenty of buildings that could benefit from efficiency upgrades, according to Bogucz.
In fact, New York City policies mandate that some building owners undertake improvements aimed at reducing energy use, he adds.
“They’re driving the market for buildings to become more energy efficiency,” Bogucz says.
The city is also an international hub.
“It essentially becomes a global showcase for products from upstate New York companies,” Bogucz says.
Some of the first companies to work in the new Center of Excellence labs will be DeWitt–based NuClimate Air Quality Systems, Inc., Pulaski–based Fulton Cos., and Syracuse–based Ephesus Technologies, LLC.
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When New York lost out two years ago on federal funding for an ambitious, statewide effort focused on developing companies and new technology in the energy-efficiency space, organizers could have simply walked away. Instead, the group of more than 100 partners, led by Syracuse University (SU), decided to press ahead. The first phase of their plans […]
When New York lost out two years ago on federal funding for an ambitious, statewide effort focused on developing companies and new technology in the energy-efficiency space, organizers could have simply walked away.
Instead, the group of more than 100 partners, led by Syracuse University (SU), decided to press ahead. The first phase of their plans is now becoming a reality. The state last year awarded the effort, known as the New York Energy Regional Innovation Cluster, $3 million as part of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative
The innovation cluster project was a key piece of Central New York’s proposal for the regional council initiative, which awarded $200 million in competitive funding and a total of $785 million. Central New York’s plan won $103.7 million.
The $3 million for the innovation cluster will go toward outfitting the Syracuse Center of Excellence with new labs for research and testing of products. The total cost of the project is $8.7 million, with the remainder coming from federal grants and private funding, including money from SU.
Some of the technologies studied in the labs could include fuel cells, combined heat and power systems, smart-grid applications, photovoltaic-power generation, wind-power generation, and battery storage. The initial state funding will also add new transportation infrastructure at the center, including a special parking surface outfitted for testing stormwater-management technology and charging stations for electric vehicles.
The work the partners put in while developing the proposal for federal funds convinced them the state has the resources to be a major player in the energy-efficiency space, says Edward Bogucz, director of the Syracuse Center of Excellence, which will serve as a hub for the innovation cluster.
“We were enthusiastic about the team we put together,” he says.
The center and its more than 200 collaborators at companies and institutions throughout upstate New York work on issues related to clean and renewable energy, indoor environmental quality, and water resources.
The innovation cluster could establish New York as a national and international hotbed for energy-efficiency research and commercialization, Bogucz says. The full project would cost $225 million and involve programs aimed at all stages of product development from basic research to manufacturing, he adds.
Partners haven’t nailed down where that funding would come from, but the idea is for $75 million to come from state sources. Those dollars would in turn attract further investment from private sources such as the universities involved, Bogucz says.
In addition to a focus on research and product development, the cluster will concentrate on connecting upstate companies with the New York City market. The Big Apple has plenty of buildings that could benefit from efficiency upgrades, according to Bogucz.
In fact, New York City policies mandate that some building owners undertake improvements aimed at reducing energy use, he adds.
“They’re driving the market for buildings to become more energy efficiency,” Bogucz says.
The city is also an international hub.
“It essentially becomes a global showcase for products from upstate New York companies,” Bogucz says.
Some of the first companies to work in the new Center of Excellence labs will be DeWitt–based NuClimate Air Quality Systems, Inc., Pulaski–based Fulton Cos., and Syracuse–based Ephesus Technologies, LLC.
