Come Help Us Make Greater Philadelphia Greener

The Greater Philadelphia Region (11 counties within Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware) is going “green” in a big way, spending hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds with companies like yours on energy efficiency and environmental initiatives. It’s all part of initiatives by state and local governments to encourage the adoption of more energy efficiency measures, devices and generation of alternative energies; as well as President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

In August 2010, the U.S Department of Energy awarded $129 million grant creating National Research Lab for Energy Efficiency in Philadelphia. Funds will be dedicated over the next five years to establish of one of only three “Energy Innovation Hubs” in the U.S. An additional $30 million grant was provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

And, you can be a very profitable part of it all. 

Read about how "Pennsylvania can clean up in clean tech."

A Ready-to-Renovate Marketplace, Ready to Spend with You

Together, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware received more than $15 billion in Recovery Act funding, with a good portion of it destined for the Greater Philadelphia Region – one of the most population-dense and most mature housing and commercial building markets in the U.S. We’re looking for the following kinds of professionals and businesses to come help us upgrade our region over the next several years.

• Alternative energy generators.
• Suppliers of equipment used by alternative energy generators.
• Contractors that install solar systems.
• Producers of energy efficient equipment used in traditional fossil fuel plants.
• Producers of equipment and devices that increase energy efficiency.
• Designers and builders of green buildings.
• Building retrofitting companies and energy auditors.
• Consulting firms providing energy-related services such as software, accounting, and legal services.
• Energy storage equipment manufacturers.
• Manufacturers of vehicles using alternative fuels.
• Suppliers of smart grid technologies infrastructure and control systems.

If your company is working within these or other key energy- or environmentally-related areas, we should speak, and soon. To talk with a Select Greater Philadelphia representative, call 800.221.0774.

The Time is now  

Converging realities make this the right time for you to help us enhance energy savings across our region. We’re home to more than 6.1 million residents, many of whom live in older, energy-inefficient houses. Our local schools, colleges, universities and federal buildings need renovating to improve their efficiency. And with Pennsylvania’s local utility rate caps set to expire in 2011, there’s a greater-than-ever demand for better insulated and far more energy efficient homes. Commercial, industrial and institutional buildings, too. Regional transit systems will also undertake major infrastructure improvements.

These needs offer open platforms for the development of smarter grid and energy auditing technologies, and more LEEDS -certified buildings. Greater Philadelphia is a leader in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified buildings with 148 (17.6 million s/f), 306 LEED-registered buildings (99.2 million s/f) and a total of 454 registered and certified buildings.

Philadelphia, already one of America’s top ten green cities*, has recently made its Green City Commitment to significantly reducing its carbon footprint. And in November 2012, it will host more than 30,000 green building professionals at a high-profile industry conference sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Read about the Brookings report that ranks the Philadelphia area as 5th in Clean Jobs 

*Source: SustainLane.com, 2008 US City Rankings study.

What’s more, the Greater Philadelphia region has committed to renewable portfolio standards regarding what percentage of future energy purchased must come from alternative energy sources. By 2020, in Pennsylvania, 18% of the state’s electricity must be supplied using alternative energy resources including 0.5% from solar. By 2021 in New Jersey, 22.5% of the state’s electricity must be supplied from renewable resources including over 2,500 gigawatts from solar facilities. In Delaware, by 2025, 22.5% of the state's electricity must be purchased from renewable resources including 3.5% from photovoltaic.

The Funding is here   

The federal government has provided huge incentives to rebuild our region. Including the recent injection of $650 million in Alternative Energy Funds for Pennsylvania, and $16 million in Alternative Fuels Investments.

These funds are coupled with a further $10 million of venture capital, which is being invested by regional Ben Franklin Technology Partners. This venture capital is going to fund incubator-stage and commercialization phases of innovative energy technologies and services. Capital starved transit agencies will also see $193 million dedicated to completing long-deferred infrastructure maintenance.

In August 2010, the U.S Department of Energy awarded $129 million grant creating National Research Lab for Energy Efficiency in Philadelphia

• $129 million will be dedicated over the next five years to the establishment of one of only three “Energy Innovation Hubs” in the U.S. An additional $30 million grant was provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
• Called the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster (GPIC) for Energy-Efficient Buildings, this Energy Innovation Hub, is led by Penn State University along with a consortium of academic institutions, federal laboratories, global industry partners and regional economic development agencies.
• Located at the Philadelphia Navy Yard,  the new Hub is a national center for research, education and the commercialization of energy-related technologies. 
• The goals of the GPIC are to improve energy efficiency and operability and reduce carbon emissions of new and existing buildings, and to stimulate private investment and quality job creation in the Greater Philadelphia region, the larger Mid-Atlantic region, and beyond.
• The GPIC will focus on full spectrum retrofit of existing average size commercial and multi-family residential buildings.
• An historic building at the Navy Yard has been chosen as a test facility to undergo a full spectrum energy-efficient retrofit. 
• Companies are encouraged to experiment with new technologies especially in integrated design, verification and modeling and components, sub-systems, controls and diagnostics. Funding is available to support research, development, demonstration, and deployment of technologies, policies, business models and training programs that advance GPIC goals.
• Visit http://gpichub.org/ for more information.

The Research is here

Can client provide examples of or links to university R&D in the areas of alternative energies, energy efficiency, and device developments?

The Resources are here

Every advantage your company needs to hit the ground running is already in place. Office rents here are the lowest among major northeastern U.S. metros. The region also offers you a large and highly trained blue – and green-collar labor force, ready to work with and for you. They include HVAC specialists, electricians, plumbers, carpenters and roofers, as well as environmental and construction engineers, project managers and technologists – many with degrees from the region’s 100+ colleges and universities.

A few of the green companies already here. The Greater Philadelphia Region is a hotbed for innovative, energy-related firms, with plenty of room for more. Listed below is a sampling of companies greening the region:

• Advanced Power Control, Newark, DE, energy consulting, web-based temperature control and building automation systems.
• AE Polysilicon Corp., Chatham, NJ, large-scale provider of high purity polysilicon feedstocks for solar cells and modules.
• Alternative Energy, Inc., Downingtown, PA, energy and water efficient devices for the home.
• American Hometec, Wilmington, DE, tankless water heating systems.
• Batta Environmental, Newark, DE environmental consulting, engineering and technical services.
• Carroll Engineering, Warrington, PA, environmental, transportation and wastewater engineering services.
• Conergy, Projects Group, Paoli, PA, one of the world’s largest providers of premium, large-scale, turn-key solar electric systems in all major commercial sectors.
• Eastern Energy Services, Southampton, NJ energy-saving HVAC and lighting controllers for homes and businesses.
• Eos Energy Solutions, Philadelphia, PA, installer of photovoltaic solar systems.
• Gamesa, Fairless Hills, PA, engineering, design and manufacture of wind turbines.
• GE/Betz, Trevose, PA, water and wastewater treatment chemistries.
• Green Tech Energy Services, Maple Shade, NJ, renewable energy systems, energy consumption solutions for healthcare, educational and government facilities.
• Gridplex, Upper Darby, PA, web-based analysis of temperature readings, automated energy and water conservation systems.
• Henkels & McCoy, Blue Bell, PA, renewable energy, water and power distribution systems.
• Honeywell, Morristown, NJ, control, monitoring and observation systems to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency.
• Iberdola Renewable Energies, USA, King of Prussia, PA, a world leader in sustainable energy, including electricity-producing wind farms project development and management.
• MaGrann Associates, Moorestown, NJ, residential energy and green building consultants.
• Malcom Pirnie, Gloucester City, NJ, environmental consulting, water and wastewater engineering, solid and hazardous waste management.
• Motech, Newark, DE, manufacturer of crystalline silicon based photovoltaic modules.
• Princeton Energy Systems, Philadelphia, PA, energy and sustainability consulting, engineering and planning services.
• SKF Group, Lansdale, PA, bearings, sealing and lubrication systems for wind energy generation.
• Solar Dynamics, Cherry Hill, NJ, solar control window films.
• Standard Solar, Newark, DE, designer/installer of solar electric panel for residential, commercial and educational buildings.
• Tozour-Trane, King of Prussia, PA, energy engineering consulting firm.
• Viridity Energy, Conshohocken, PA, smart grid technologies to optimize energy generation, management and storage.
• Mark Group, Philadelphia, PA, installs energy saving measures in homes and businesses.
• Pace Controls, Philadelphia, PA, develops and manufactures eco-smart, energy-saving HVACR solutions for commercial, industrial and residential heating, cooling and refrigeration equipment.

Major renewable energy producers into the region include:

• AE Polysilicon
• Epuron
• Conergy
• Gamesa
• Iberdrola
  

Supporting the emergence of the renewable energy industry in Greater Philadelphia are major research universities that conduct R&D in various aspects of renewable energy and in related fields such as smart grid technology, storage technologies, and fuel cells.

Other key advantages of the Greater Philadelphia region include:

• Located in the world’s largest wholesale electricity market, this 13 state grid is regulated by PJM Interconnection, headquartered in Valley Forge, PA.
• High-quality private and public supporting services, including venture capital, legal, accounting, information technology, and engineering consulting firms.
• Above average share of employment in advanced manufacturing, enabling the region’s labor force and companies to produce the equipment required in alternative energy facilities.
• Wide array of economic incentives and public and private resources offered by the three states to promote the development of alternative energy facilities.