NYSERDA Provides Funding to Establish NY Clean Energy Testing Centers
Solar and Wind Technology Testing Sites Will Be Among First of Their Kind in Nation The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced $4.4 million in funding over five years to a central New York-based testing laboratory to establish renewable energy test and research centers in New York that will be among…
Solar and Wind Technology Testing Sites Will Be Among First of Their Kind in Nation
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced $4.4 million in funding over five years to a central New York-based testing laboratory to establish renewable energy test and research centers in New York that will be among the first of their kind in the nation.
The funding will allow Intertek (Cortland) and a consortium of partners to establish solar photovoltaic (PV) and small wind test centers throughout the State. They will use rigorous real-life testing scenarios to measure safety, performance, reliability, durability, and longevity. Currently, there is only one accredited small wind and four accredited PV test centers in the country.
The clean technology test centers also will improve the ability to predict the output of wind and solar energy, which will help to maximize the production potential of these renewable resources. Coupled with a better understanding of wind and solar performance in real-world situations, the centers will help developers in optimally siting small wind and PV technologies and improve the state’s efforts to achieve Governor David Paterson’s “45 by 15” clean energy objectives.
The wind and PV test centers also will help educate the next generation of clean energy workers by collaborating with New York State higher education institutions to provide real-world training and proficiency in solar and wind technologies that will help attract PV and wind industries to New York.
Intertek’s regional partners in this NYSERDA-funded initiative include AWS Truepower, Clarkson University, Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Canton, Alfred State, Binghamton University, and the Syracuse Center of Excellence.
Currently, small wind technology and components are tested and certified at the National Renewable Energy Lab in Colorado. The PV test center will be the fifth accredited center to open in the United States and the second to open on the East Coast.
The location of each PV and small wind test center will be determined by Intertek and the consortium over the coming months. Each center will bring jobs and new renewable energy businesses to several locations throughout New York.
Source: NYSERDA Press Release
May 17, 2010
