PPG to help inaugurate Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster

PPG Industries, Pittsburgh,will participate in a ceremony Sept. 27 to celebrate the awarding of $129 million in federal funds to create the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster, a 5-year initiative designed to improve the energy efficiency of buildings in the U.S., according to a Sept. 23 release.

PPG is one of five industry partners in the project, which includes 11 academic institutions, two U.S. Department of Energy laboratories, and several regional economic development agencies and community colleges. PPG will offer expertise in a host of energy-efficient building technologies for both new construction and retrofit applications with a focus on innovations for the building envelope.

The funds, which were awarded to a consortium organized by Penn State University, will create an Energy Innovation Hub at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, a 1,200-acre waterfront business development that includes 80 companies, 7,500 employees and 5.5 million square feet of building space, according to the release. Because the Philadelphia Navy Yard operates its own utility infrastructure, including an independent electric grid, it is considered an ideal site for testing the real-world impact of new energy-related technologies and policies.

The award ceremony, which will take place at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, will include remarks from U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutting and U.S. Rep. Bob Brady.

Other members of the GPIC are Bayer MaterialScience, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeast Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, Collegiate Consortium, Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center, Drexel University, IBM Corp., Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Morgan State University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, Princeton University, Purdue University, Rutgers University, Turner Construction, United Technologies Corp., University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and Wharton Small Business Development Center, according to the release.