President cites advanced PPG glass, coatings in Penn State speech

President Obama acknowledged PPG Industries, Pittsburgh,as a leader in the development of high-performance glass and coatings for energy-efficient buildings during a visit to Penn State University, Feb. 3, that kicked off the U.S. government’s Better Buildings Initiative, according to a Feb. 4 release.In remarks that also recognized the launch of the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Clusterfor Energy Efficient Buildings, the president said, “PPG Industries is providing walls that reflect sunlight and windows that reflect infrared [energy],” according to the release.He added that buildings technologies developed as part of GPIC will support job creation in a variety of industries and fields. “Discoveries made on this campus will lead to even more jobs – jobs in engineering; jobs in manufacturing; jobs in construction; jobs in installation; jobs in retail,” he said.GPIC is one of several innovation hubs the Department of Energy has initiated across the nation as part of the Obama administration’s strategy to “win the future” through new investments in research and development.“We are pleased to see President Obama and his administration re-emphasize their commitment to energy-efficient buildings, and PPG is proud to be one of five industry partners in the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Hub,” said Mark Seeton, PPG director of sales, performance glazings, in the release.A $129 million grant awarded to a consortium organized by Penn State University will fund the Energy Innovation Hub at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, a 1,200-acre waterfront business park that includes 80 companies, 7,500 employees and 5.5 million square feet of building space. The site is considered ideal for testing the real-world impact of new energy-related technologies and policies because the facility operates its own utility infrastructure, including an independent electric grid.